Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Who cries during Youth Sunday?!

That's what I kept telling myself the other day as I tried to hold back the tears while watching the youth of the church I have been attending for a few short months lead the congregation in worship.

But I could barely contain myself.

You see, I grew up in a large church with a huge music program and an impressive youth program. Both my sister and I spent a lot of time invested in those programs and once a year it was time for the youth of the church to plan and lead the services. At some point during the service the graduating seniors would be called up to the front and recognised. These were kids that had all grown up together. Kids who's parents had known them since they were in the nursery. And there they were, ready to graduate after having made it through the gauntlet of teenage years having still managed to not only show up to church twice a week but actually lead the congregation in worship.

So there I was, a few Sundays ago, sitting in the pew at this new church watching the young men and women who had grown up in the church stand in front of their parents and their Sunday School teachers and their peers and lead us all in worship. And I could barely contain myself. I was so proud of those young men and women that I didn't even know. I yearned in my heart for my own son to have the special experiences and church family that those kids have...that I had. I felt every dream and wish and desire I have for Little G well up in me and swell in my heart.

So yeah, I cried at Youth Sunday.

What dreams do you have for your kids?

2 comments:

  1. *Raises hand*

    The first all-congregation service we had after I started teaching Youth Group, I started crying when the kids were giving a performance. For the same exact reasons you stated in this post, and also because I was so damn proud of them.

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  2. Me, too... my greatest wish for K is for her to have her own sense of faith someday, not only because Mom and Dad spoon fed it to her but because it is as true and real for her as it is to us.

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