Everyone Needs Hope

HOPE. It's a word we hear a lot.  "I hope my sports team wins this year!"  "I hope I do well on this test."  Hope can be defined as "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best."  It's a feeling that is held so often by young people.

They see the hurtful or sometimes frightening circumstances around them and they wonder if there is any hope at all. Hope of graduating; hope of making a difference; hope that someones loves them; hope of staying alive.

We saw that all too clearly this week as the story of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick from Polk County, FL unfolded.  According to police, Rebecca was harrassed unceasingly by at least two other girls her age - on line, on her phone, even after her mother moved Sedwick to a different school.  The girls' taunts and words were so devastating that Rebecca, a 6th grader, committed suicide - she took her own life because she had no hope for an end to her pain.

Rebecca's story and alleged abuse is not that uncommon. As we've traveled around the Capital Region hearing kids' stories through our Point Break anti-bullying program, we've seen the kids who say they've been hurt over and over by classmates, by teammates.  They sometimes use a variety of means to end the pain. Some of them lose ALL hope and want "out" of this life.

In Youth for Christ, we are so blessed to step into a young person's life and communicate a message of eternal hopeto them.  As we build Christ-centered relationships with kids, we earn the right to share the amazing hope each of us has in Jesus.  We get to tell a teenager that hope in Jesus is real, that it's not just a fantasy or a good story.

A teen mom from Clifton Park recently visited our Schenectady Teen Parents program. As she talked with our staff, she told them she personally knew six or seven other pregnant girls from her community.  Even though she was only at one meeting, she began to sense there was more to our team than just nice people.  She sensed hopeand wanted other teen moms to experience it, too. 

The need to reach young people with the life-rescuing, hope-giving message of Christ is great! Our need for volunteers, prayer warriors and financial supporters across our ministry is great as well.

Thank you for helping us bring a desperately needed message of hope to kids.  We cannot do this without you. We truly cherish your faithful prayers and your generous giving. God bless you.