I was sitting alone half reading a book and half listening to the class meeting going on around me when this thought struck me. It's not an uncommon thought because I've thought about it before, but then I got a new idea involved with this one thought.
This probably happens everywhere with all sorts of different people whether they are teens, kids, or adults.
First of all, I'm not really complaining about this. Second of all, I like sitting alone during such class meetings because they're boring and as much as I like talking to my school friends, I also like to read, but the problem with sitting alone is that I also tend to think too much.
School friends. Did you catch that in that last paragraph? If you didn't, go read it again because it's there and somewhat of a problem that I have. It's not my friends because they're all great. It's the differences in friends.
I have what I call my school friends and my church friends. At school, I tend to hang out with my school friends and at church, because my school friends aren't always there, I hang out with my church friends. I do go to public school like most of my church friends, but we don't talk that much.
Anyone else feel like that from time to time?
I sat thinking about this during the meeting like I said before while watching some of my church friends interact with their own school friends. It sometimes makes me wish I could fit in with them, but I know I won't.
I do have a few friends that spill over into both groups, but not very many. I get a few hi's from a couple of church friends during the day, but trying to talk to them is a whole other story. I feel kinda ignored when I try to talk to church friends at school sometimes. Don't get me wrong, some of them actually have a real conversation with me, but others don't.
I'm not sure why this happens. Sometimes I ask about youth group, but usually not. Sometimes I want to talk about God or the old youth pastors, but not many want to talk about that.
Is it reputation? Are you not cool if you talk about God or something? Fine, I don't want to be cool. It makes me wonder.
What do the unbelievers at our schools think of us? And if we aren't talking to each other about God and Jesus, then how will these unbelievers know that we're the right people to talk to about that subject?
They won't. The simple truth, they won't know unless we tell them. They won't know unless they hear us talking about how great God is.
Over the years, I've become more and more willing to share my faith with people. It doesn't bother me. Sometimes it's difficult to strike up a conversation about God, but this school year, I've had a couple of great conversations and I didn't strike them up. Someone was talking about Toby Mac.
Youth group. Shouldn't we stick together? We come together a few times a week for fellowship with each other, why can't we stick together in school too? Is it reputation? Am I suddenly not the friend you want to talk to at school?
I know people are busy carrying out their own lives and I'm not complaining about how I hardly say two words to anyone in my youth group during the school week. Whatever.
I guess, sorry I'm such a Jesus freak and like talking about my relationship with God. Wait, why am I apologizing? I'm not saying no one else talks about their relationships with God, I just don't hear it I guess, but then again I don't always need to hear everyone's conversations.
I try to keep up with some of the freshmen girls we have in youth group who are new to the group during the week. Usually it's before Wednesday that I talk to them asking if they're coming to youth group. I think it's really cool they're coming to youth group.
Sometimes it feels like my youth group is stuck in a nutshell. It's like we want to be secluded and we want to stick to ourselves because that's the way it has always been. For those who wanting to be in that nutshell, you can't always get what you want. I like the fact that this youth group is growing. It's slow, but it's growing finally. Now if only everyone could accept everyone else for who they are. We have some problems with that once in a while.
I guess my point in all of this, is that we need to stop being so shy about God. We need to get out there and talk to our friends at school or wherever you are about the wonderful love of God and what His son did for us.
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