feeling old.

I'm currently sitting in the local coffee shop doing some work, and have just been surrounded by over a dozen high school students. I remember being that age and doing the "coffee house" thing with friends and feeling so cool as I had my hazelnut steamers (hot milk-no coffee...yet). But every year, when I run into high school students, they look younger, and I feel older. Then I start looking at it from the perspective that if they are 16 years old, my oldest son is closer in age to them than I am. Wow. Then I start to wonder, what are they thinking of the "old" guy writing away on his laptop. I'm pretty sure they may think I'm weird. Not that much has changed since high school.

But then I start to consider the potential in the room around me. I have been set on my path, by God's grace. But they have not. I have a wonderful wife, kids, been to college; I had a family cell phone the size of these impressionable students heads when I was their age, they each have smart phones. While I may be the weird guy in the corner and these students are looking through their phones and socially multi tasking in ways that my mind can't even begin to fathom, I have a better idea of what their potential is than they do (or at least than they care about). I know what they can do with the right instruction and right people to walk along side them. I know that we (as old weird people) can have an impact on students to be the leaders of the church now and in the future. It's where our legacy lies. It's why I'm thankful for Overflow (Riverbend's Youth Ministry) and River Rocks and Stepping Stones. These are being used by God to point our kids and youth toward the mission God invites us all to. Their mission isn't different than ours, its the same. They just have more energy without the caffeine. Think of what these kids will do caffeinated!

Jeremiah 1:7-9