This article first appeared in the September/October issue of Timbrel magazine.
Nothing delights my heart more than to see young people commit their lives to the Lord, to see them focus their lives in God’s ways again and again, listen to God talk about a specific area of their lives, find God’s will, open and close doors to find the correct one, pray and cry out to God to reveal God’s purposes to them, worship with all their hearts, cry out to receive from God, realize that this life is nothing without God being the center of their lives, give a testimony of what God has done in them or for them, pray for one another, care for the lost…. I could go on and on.
Many times I wonder what I can really do for many of these youth who question almost everything around them. I have been in their shoes, and I remember when I was their age how I used to question many things in my life. At that time, I felt like a small boat in the middle of a large ocean being tossed around by the waves without a clear destination. It wasn’t until I decided to make Jesus my anchor that I began to have a sense of purpose in my life, a feeling of security knowing that no matter how big the waves might get, Jesus was going to hold on to me and not let me drift away.
Now as I look at our youth, I see many of them in different situations. Some are adrift with no clear destination, while others have set their anchors and are stable and growing in Christ. Whenever I see a young person setting her anchor in Jesus, looking to him for guidance and protection, I have no words to explain the satisfaction it brings to my heart. I tell myself it’s all worth it, all those long talks, all those prayers and frustrations, all those times wondering, “would she make it?” God is faithful and has a special place for each person who makes Jesus her anchor.
What I enjoy most about being young and finding my place at church is that I can fit in many different places and ministries. I’m still young enough to relate to some of the youth, especially the girls. We spend a lot of time together so we get to know each other well. I’m also the mother of two little girls, so, of course, I also fit in with other young mothers. I spend a good deal of my time with them talking about the joys and the frustrations of being a mother.
God has blessed me with many wonderful relationships, both in the church and outside the church, from 14-year-old girls who spend their days studying for exams and talking about boys, to mothers in their thirties whose only break during the week from work and the kids is when we get together for coffee.
I am always amazed at how God gives me the words to say as I relate to so many different women who are going through very different experiences. Many of the young girls I relate to are looking for examples in their lives, looking for people who have set their anchor in Jesus many years ago and are still doing it daily.
I never imagined how all my decisions, my mistakes, my difficult times would come to me again in so many conversations as examples to share with others. I never thought that my struggles or those difficulties could be a blessing to young women as they are facing similar situations. I never imagined I would be thanking God for all those difficult times in my life when I couldn’t find “a secure place for my anchor,” yet, God helped me to find it in Jesus.
About a week ago I was sharing with some of the youth how faithful God is when we fix our eyes on Jesus, how he can carry you and whisper into your ear, “my son/daughter, be strong and courageous. Fix your eyes on me and I will be with you.” Many of the youth came to me later and told me how what I had shared touched them because they knew that what I had been going through was a really difficult experience.
My prayer is that they, too, will be able to see Jesus as their anchor when the storms of life come.
###
Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact Andrew Clouse at andrewc@mmnworld.net, 574-523-3024 or 866-866-2872, ext. 23024.
