Quiet Reflections

A few short days ago I received a call from my sister informing me that one of the students from my youth group days had passed away. He was 24 years old. Can I tell you how much it pains my heart to see a young person die before his time?! Die before"his race" ever really got started. Die before he had the chance to see what God had prepared before the ages of time-- the good paths that he should walk in.

Although much younger than me, he wanted to be around the older kids. He was kind of like the younger brother that you include in everything and sometimes have to remind yourself that he is almost a decade younger than yourself. My most vivid memories of this young man was when I served as the Assistant Drama Director for the youth ministry's drama team during my high school and college years (during college I would come home for breaks or after missions trips and help the director with script writing for upcoming fall retreats, youth rallies and what not).

I was unfailing strict--a Harvey trait that runs through my veins. And although I have lightened up a little...just a little...I had and still do possess a passion to see youth really get it! I mean, really get God. I am an advocate of mentorship and accountability and I believe that when a child or student has the appointed voice of another adult enforcing the reality of a living God in everyday life, then I believe that we can truly prevent long and dangerous detours down destructive paths.

I am passionate out missions. You know what I used to love about taking a teenager on a missions trip!? I used to love making them lead in corporate prayer and devotions or take the lead in the ministry of the laying on of hands so that they could pray the prayer of faith over an adult who was sick with a disease. When that sick person got up completely well, I knew in that moment that that teenager was convinced! He was convinced of the reality of a Savior. The scripture was no longer nice religion or good theory but it was LIFE!

Sometimes I think I am just too radical and too extreme for some. I mean I honestly believe that a child doesn't have to stray. If they stray it's because we, the Church, are a boring lot. We are stiff and we are dead. There is nothing that really challenges them, provokes them and yes, even scares them enough to come and take a closer look at a Living God. I see it in youth now. Those who have grown up in a home with BOTH parents, at church every week, etc. and yet something draws them away. The Book of James says it well when it says, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed..."

I think about my desires. The good ones gone wild (out of proportion and imbalanced, my obsessions). And I think about the dark ones, too. I think about desires that run deep within our family line...generations back, that if fed rather than starved, will mean my very destruction.

Today I am thinking about the youth in my church, both past, present and future. Are they bored? Have we as the Church bored them? What about the kid that is adventurous and super-passionate? Are we channeling that sense of adventure responsibly or do we overlook it as a phase that they will grow out of? Is it phase or is it a tell-tale sign to something more?

Here's another question. Is it possible for a kid to still be entertained and have fun in church and still be bored? Deep thoughts. I mean bored in their spirits. Bored in their gut.

What about our youth that have an insatiable desire for sexual intimacy? How long has it lain dormant? When did it first surface? I know at the end of the day, you can not remove the power of choice. Free will. But I ask you, what are we doing to be a catalyst for change? I can not just sit and watch anymore youth that grew up in the church and had a legitimate relationship with Christ, turn away and loose decades of their lives to the deception of world. (the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the deceitfulness of riches)

The Book of James goes on to say that when desire is conceived it brings forth sin and sin (when it comes to full term) brings forth death.

I have been mulling over the idea about what my response will be to this recent death. It is the second death in about a four to five year period. The first death from our youth group was a young man of 28 years of age. And if you rewind about fifteen years earlier we had two teens die to violence. Neither one was twenty years of age. Just poor decisions. Poor influences. According to two of my former youth leaders, that twenty-four year old man did get things right with God on his death bed. I am indeed grateful to God for this. But oh what life could have been!

So, I ask myself: "Valencia, how long are you going to just talk about this? What will be your response?" I don't know how often I have allowed myself to be paralyzed by indecision, passivity and doubt. Not sure of how to start, I stare numbly at the myriad of questions thinking: "If only I knew what to do."

I think I am supposed to gather the youth I grew up with. I think we need a reunion. I think we need to be reminded of how rich the good Word of God was and still is and begin to actively apply it to our lives. I think many of us need to be encouraged, hugged and told that "God is still for us and that God believes in us." I think we need to be told that we can "redeem the time lost" by the grace of God! I think we need to have our old leaders, men and women of standard, to breathe life into us again and answer the ancient question out of the Book of Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?"

To those reading this post: Please hold me accountable. Pray that I might walk in the courage and the faith to bring this thing to pass! Pray that God would begin to draw the people now, in their mid-twenties and early thirties, back unto Himself. Pray the Lord of the Harvest would send laborers out into His fields.

Millionaire Dollar Question:
Within your circle of influence, what "thing" has died that God would desire for YOU to resurrect? What's your first step?

For your reading pleasure--
I wanted to give you the full text of Scripture regarding speaking to "the dead bones" in your life (circle of influence). Oh remember that although this scripture is indeed talking about the nation of Israel in that natural sense, spiritually speaking, "Israel" is also a type and shadow of the Church. Please keep this in mind when you are reading this passage.

Exekial 37:1-14
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." ' " 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." ' " 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it," says the Lord.' "