Even Though You're Young.

When we decided to start up campaigners for Floyd WyldLife last summer none of us really knew what it would look like or what to expect. Well actually we kind of did...in true YoungLife tradition we expected there to be oodles of girls showing up every week and maybe three or four guys if we were REALLY lucky. That's just the way YoungLife works, girls are waaaaaay more into than the guys are. But of course we do ministry in Floyd and everything about Floyd is weird or pretty much the opposite of what you would expect. So that meant that our campaigners are 5th - 7th grade boys. To the point that some week girls don't even show up. The girls that do show up are rockstars, I've seen them grow a lot this year and its been so sweet to watch their hearts change for their friends. But the boys are where I've been most encouraged; which is really freaking weird because typically 13 year old boys do not encourage 20 year old girls, but hey this is Floyd and we do what we want.

Zach is in 7th grade. He's a rising track star and has one of the most genuine hearts for the Lord I've ever seen in someone his age. Zach gets it. He runs after the new kids, the weird kids, the kids who don't have many friends, who no one talks to. He invites them to WyldLife events, he loves them, and most importantly he prays for them. When I was in 7th grade I was a whole lot more worried with how straight I could get my hair and how I could get out of gym class than I was with wanting my friends to know Jesus.

I'm consistently amazed by this kid. 99% of the time I'm pretty sure his faith is a lot stronger than mine. The sweetest thing is that I know for a fact that I have had nothing to do with the awesomeness that's occurring because of Zach. It's all Jesus and that is incredibly cool and humbling. Praise the Lord that he works in such crazy and backward ways and that I'm able to find challenge and encouragement in the Lord through a 13 year old boy.

One of my favorite verses of all time is 1 Timothy 4:12.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

And watching middle schoolers that are sold out for their God is such a sweet and humbling thing to experience. PTL that I even get the privilege to be a part of the uprising of these young people.