It's been a few years since I've worked with teenagers. Memories include everything from the heart-warming to the heart-wrenching. Watching my kids struggle in horribly dysfunctional homes in the midst of being made fun of at school to watching them commit themselves to Christ and succeed beyond all odds. I've broken up fights, traveled cross-country in a van with teenage boys with body odor, hugged away tears, clapped and cheered at high school graduations, laughed as I watched someone say "chubby bunny" with a mouthful of marshmallows, but my greatest joy was discipling young girls who would become women who follow the Lord and serve in His Church.
Now, I am again privileged to work with young people. Each Thursday I help with a homework and Bible club for highschoolers. Last Thursday was my first day. I began by picking up a young woman ("Alisha") I have known since she was in middle school. She comes from a large family that struggles to make ends meet. I walk into her home - a small, dimly-lit house that barely seems big enough to house the eleven individuals who live there. I talk to the mom while Alisha gets ready. She tells me Alisha is pregnant. She sighs when she says this. Her face betrays the hopelessness and despair of the situation. Her daughter is fifteen.
When we get in the car, I talk with Alisha about her pregnancy. She tells me she is confused about what to do. There has been talk of abortion and adoption. Alisha is adamant that she does not want to kill her baby. I struggle with how to encourage this girl. I tell her we will pray about it and ask the Lord to help her.
Ironically, our babies are due around the same time. I can't help but think about the two lives yet to be born. By God's grace, my baby will be born to two parents who love each other and the Lord and who are equipped to provide for him or her. Alisha has none of these resources. What will happen to her little one? All I know is that God is sovereign and He loves her baby just as much as He loves mine.
At our next stop, I pick up two Hispanic boys. I know their parents through our ministry. They invite me inside and we talk while the boys get ready. Their warmth and hospitality reminds me how much I love working among Latino people. I hope to get to know them more as the club progresses.
After we arrive, each teen is partnered with a volunteer who helps them with their homework. I help one teen with his French- a little difficult since I know no French!
During the lesson time, I am reminded why I love working with teens. They eagerly engage in the lesson and pepper the teacher (one of our missionaries) with questions. Some are on topic, others are not. We are studying the creation story. We talk about how God created each person uniquely and with a purpose. We look at Psalm 139. We read verses 13 and 14: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." During this discussion, one of the boys asks if abortion is a sin. I look at Alisha. She thinks about this and then replies that abortion is wrong because killing is a sin. I can't help thinking about her baby- knowing that the circumstances involving her pregnancy were not God's perfect will, but that the little baby has a purpose and is uniquely gifted for that purpose.
As I ponder this, one of the boys asks, "Is it a sin to date older women?" We all laugh- this question was definitely NOT on topic! But as he was serious, the teacher gave him a biblical answer. Even amidst the humor, I am glad that these teens are asking questions and seeking biblical answers. Some questions are more serious than others, but there is an obvious quest for knowledge. My hope and prayer is that I can help these youth as theymake their way through these formative (and sometimes difficult) years.
