Seeds

Having not been on Facebook in a while, I was "checking in" on my youth (now 21 years old) the other evening.  Britany's page gave the impression she was pregnant.  A quick message of "hey what's new" revealed that she is 24 weeks pregnant.  It was very cool that she was willing to chat that evening - one of the few times that all the kids were asleep and Bernie was out and I had nothing but time.

Our conversation drifted through pregnancy, babies, names, job, house, boyfriend, and settled on God.  It made me remember two things.

First of all, you really never know what will become of the gospel seeds you plant.  Britany was resistant all through my youth encounters with her.  Happy one minute, brooding the next, very chatty, excitable, friendly, but completely quiet when discussions actually got serious.  If she ever was willing to talk, it was to say that she wasn't sure what she believed.  So, as much as I tried to connect with her and guide her toward God, I always felt like she was desperately clinging to surface-level stuff, both feet still on the dock, never ready to just jump in and let it take over.  Maybe the odd toe dangling in the water, but only to snatch it back out the next day.

Now, the seeds planted by myself and many others haven't sprung up into anything gigantic just yet, but they seem to have taken root.  They are most certainly still there, making her think and wonder and not quite be able to let go of the fact that she knows there is something more.  3 years later.  That's a blessing to see.

The other thing, is that once you have the role of youth leader in someone's life, it seems like you forever have the right to ask the tough questions.  And they will answer.  It doesn't matter that we haven't talked in 3 years, when we do I can ask "How are things with you and God?" and she will be honest.  She's not the first either.  I guess it's the role I have in her life.  Which is awesome, because you never know that anyone else is asking those questions.  So it just reminds me to have the courage to ask.  Someone might just be waiting for me to break the ice so they can share what is really going on and what really matters.

And if they don't want to talk, well maybe it's another seed planted for another time.  Everything builds on something.

Thank you, Great Gardener!