Steve Prettyman, our Point Break
anti-bullying program director, described the scenario clearly. "It was
likely the first time this boy knew that someone cared that he was even
alive."
The scene was a recent Point Break program. The day was intense with kids sharing some deep hurts and struggles. At the end of our time, we give kids a chance to share their thoughts and experiences from the day. We also encourage them to speak into each other's lives as a response to what they learned.
The girl who stood up simply said, "this is going to require some walking." She seemed to really have it together. She was pretty, outgoing and confident. She walked over to a boy on the other side of the room. If you could "judge a book by its cover," this boy was the opposite of the girl.
His hair was unkempt. His clothes were frumpy. He was a bit overweight. He sat looking VERY down. But that all was about to change.
This "got it together" girl stepped up behind the boy and for about the next two minutes began to heap praises on him. She said he was funny, he was smart, he had a great personality. The more encouraging words she shared, the deeper you could see that they were reaching this boy's heart.
He broke down crying. She ended by giving him a huge hug and returning to her seat. The boy remained broken. The room grew quiet.
The key? Someone took the concept of the power of our words and put it into action in a hugely positive way. We could tell that the boy probably didn't have any friends, likely had a lot of difficulty at home - and felt completely alone.
But that day, this girl infused back into his heart, back into his life a BUNCH of reasons for him to not give up. He knew that someone DID care about him. He was told that he mattered! His life was changed. The boy was the last to leave, still wiping off tears and still visibly upset (in a good way) by what had happened.
You've heard me talk about YFC's mission - to reach EVERY kid with the life-rescuing message of Jesus. This kid was ONE of the EVERY. His life encountered a significant crossroads that likely changed his entire high school experience. And that encounter showed how God uses situations even when He is not mentioned by name to bring Glory to Himself and to set a young person on a journey of discovering Him.
From kids who committed to become Christ-followers at Excel, to two boys who did the same following a City Life JumpOff recently, with students on our Edge climbing team and with other kids who have regular conversations with our staff about faith - we have the privilege and blessing of sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus every day.
Thank you for standing with us in this ministry. Thank you for praying for us - keep it up! We truly cherish your partnership with us to reach EVERY kid!
The scene was a recent Point Break program. The day was intense with kids sharing some deep hurts and struggles. At the end of our time, we give kids a chance to share their thoughts and experiences from the day. We also encourage them to speak into each other's lives as a response to what they learned.
The girl who stood up simply said, "this is going to require some walking." She seemed to really have it together. She was pretty, outgoing and confident. She walked over to a boy on the other side of the room. If you could "judge a book by its cover," this boy was the opposite of the girl.
His hair was unkempt. His clothes were frumpy. He was a bit overweight. He sat looking VERY down. But that all was about to change.
This "got it together" girl stepped up behind the boy and for about the next two minutes began to heap praises on him. She said he was funny, he was smart, he had a great personality. The more encouraging words she shared, the deeper you could see that they were reaching this boy's heart.
He broke down crying. She ended by giving him a huge hug and returning to her seat. The boy remained broken. The room grew quiet.
The key? Someone took the concept of the power of our words and put it into action in a hugely positive way. We could tell that the boy probably didn't have any friends, likely had a lot of difficulty at home - and felt completely alone.
But that day, this girl infused back into his heart, back into his life a BUNCH of reasons for him to not give up. He knew that someone DID care about him. He was told that he mattered! His life was changed. The boy was the last to leave, still wiping off tears and still visibly upset (in a good way) by what had happened.
You've heard me talk about YFC's mission - to reach EVERY kid with the life-rescuing message of Jesus. This kid was ONE of the EVERY. His life encountered a significant crossroads that likely changed his entire high school experience. And that encounter showed how God uses situations even when He is not mentioned by name to bring Glory to Himself and to set a young person on a journey of discovering Him.
From kids who committed to become Christ-followers at Excel, to two boys who did the same following a City Life JumpOff recently, with students on our Edge climbing team and with other kids who have regular conversations with our staff about faith - we have the privilege and blessing of sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus every day.
Thank you for standing with us in this ministry. Thank you for praying for us - keep it up! We truly cherish your partnership with us to reach EVERY kid!
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