13 yr old tears

As a pastor to students, you get a lot of interesting questions like “So, what do you do all day?” Simply put, I help students learn about the real Jesus, and how to follow Him with their lives. But how do you describe that with a list of daily duties? Take this list for example- 1) Personal time in the Bible so I hear from God in the morning, 2) Weeding through facebook messages and statuses so I can lovingly interact with our students, 3) Developing key gathering times for students to learn about, love, and live out their trust in Jesus.

Throw a few options for parents in there, a couple of road trips, and a team of dynamic leaders, and all of sudden things sound pretty good right?

Maybe not. None of the above includes 13 yr old boy tears. The most amazing thing I get to do as a student pastor, is what happened last night. The setting: Two large rocks able to be sat upon, a parking lot with a street light, and 10 minutes of conversation with a 13 yr old boy.

A friend of mine came along to an event we hosted- we’ll call him Bob. Bob and I sat out in a dimly lit parking lot for no more than ten minutes, and Bob explained how his parents are in the process of divorcing. Remember, Bob is 13 yrs old and more interested in snowboards than being ‘spiritual’. I didnt think we get very far at all in honestly and authenticity.

To my surprise, Bob starts talking about his parents seperation and the fact that he only sees his mom every other weekend. As Bob explains, he begins to cry, and we are both left a little speechless.

Another few minutes pass, and we agree to meet sometine and grab a lunch to talk. Bob’s ride comes to pick him up and I tell him Ill call him soon to get together, before he climbs in the dark suv and closes the door.

So what do I do all day? I have the amazing honor of seeing young men and women realize they are indispensible in Gods plans in the world. Who else gets to develop a certain level of personal trust with a kid he barely knows, so that God could save this kid from a life of pain and problems? And possibly for some greater purpose to help other 13 yr olds?

I know Im naive and overly optimistic, but those 13 yr old tears are one of the best reasons I do what I do. With hope in God’s Word, rooted in God’s character, and promised through God’s Son on the cross…those 13 yr old tears are counted one at a time, and hopefully Bob notices someone is ready to help him through it, even if his parents dont…because thats what I would do, even if it were all day long.