Dear Family,
This month I celebrate two years of service with World Impact, and to be honest, the longer I am here, the more I love my job and the more I learn about the people and the city with which God has surrounded me. God is continually surprising me by showing up in the midst of chaos, creating beauty and order when there seems to be no hope. When I am walking through a trial, God is most evident--clearly He knows my weakness and propensity to “be human” and tries to control the circumstances. He shows up, and I learn to place the situation in His hands. Recently I had the privilege of walking beside one of my teens in his trial and seeing him begin to surrender to God.
Jim has been one of my most consistent teens. He never misses Celebration! If the doors are open, Jim is there. So when he missed two weeks in a row, I started to ask around. There were rumors of a new address, tales of juvenile detention, and much conjecture of “youthful” indiscretions. When I finally tracked him down, I found out that all of the above were true. His mom kicked him out; he spent two weeks in a juvenile detention center for a really stupid decision he made. Jim and I talked about the incident. As he spoke, I could see his heart hardened, and I could feel mine break. This young man is a leader. He has a lot going for him. He is active in sports and is very enthusiastic about life, but he has followed his parents’ example and given up on himself.
A few days after I tracked him down, Jim called me five times in one day, so I knew it was important. Once I was able to talk to him, he told me that he had stolen money from his job. His employer had turned the theft over to the state troopers, who were “investigating the event.” Jim was scared. I was in way over my head. We decided that the best option was for Jim to voluntarily turn himself in. I picked him up early from school and off we went to the see the state trooper. Jim said about five words on our 30-minute drive to the police station. Upon arrival, he was beyond nervous, as I was. The officer was very kind, explained everything, answered questions, and was patient with Jim. He also had some great news! Because Jim came in on his own, he would not be immediately arrested. Upon hearing this, Jim threw his arms in the air and praised God.
Jim lives in a community that is not known for cooperating with the police. Jim learned that doing the right thing has rewards. He saw God honored by his choice to go against the culture. Pray for Jim as the trial comes, and pray that he accepts God and sees Jesus in a new light.
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