“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
One of the values that I want to foster in our youth is the knowledge that God is with us. Sounds simple, right? But when I say God is with us, I mean God is with us. This means that in all aspects of our lives, both the great and joyful times and especially the challenging and hard times, we don’t just cling to God, God clings to us. As the above verse in Romans teaches, many times the hardest seasons in life end up being the fertilizer that sparks rich, lush character growth for our adulthood. We don’t have to be discouraged for our future because of our current life’s challenges, because nothing truly can separate us from the love of God.
This year in Fish Club and High Hopes, the way we have been learning about this is by listening to the stories of adults in our congregation. Each evening gathering, a different church member shares their story with us. We hear what life was like for them as a teen and how the experiences that formed them in their growing up shaped who they are today. We hear how God was present in their lives, especially when they made mistakes or felt hopeless. Even if they didn’t feel God’s presence in certain moments, we heard the hope of clarity given to them later in life.
At the end of each sharing session, I ask each adult the same question: “What advice would you give your 15-year-old self?” We have heard answers like “it gets better.” “there is no mistake that can’t be repurposed.” “Be kind and gentle to yourself.” Through it all, God is with us. Not only with all of us collectively, but with every part of us as individuals, even the hopeless parts.
~Beth Carroll, Assistant Pastor of Discipleship