Wrapping Up Our First Year in Youth Group

We're wrapping up our first year of having a child participating in youth group at our church. This was the first year at our church that 6th graders were allowed to participate. I'll admit, I had some reservations concerning our eldest being involved.

I found an email I sent to a dear friend, who's daughter was beginning kindergarten. This was last August, right before D began attending:

This has been the most emotional year I've had in a while too. With D beginning 6th grade, he's able to go to our youth group on Wednesday nights. He's also going to be part of the middle school Sunday school class. He is SO excited about this, but I'm having tremendously differing emotions about it. I know he'll be OK, and that he's a strong leader. But I can't help to worry about my "baby" boy. Obviously, he'll be 1 of the younger ones in each group. This fact keeps going through my head... logic says that he doesn't have anything in common with a junior in high school... I just have to pray that D will lead from the bottom as a youngster.

A couple Wednesday nights ago, the youth were all gathering in front of the church, getting ready to leave for an off sight activity. I was standing off a distance, just watching them...and thinking about D. Little did I know that D, who was on the playground with his brothers and some friends, was watching me. I watched the youth, off and on again, for the next 10 minutes. I was teaching the K-5th that night, and waiting for all of the kids to arrive at the playground. Once all of the youth arrived, they left for their activity. It was then that D walked up to me. At that time, I hadn't talked to him about any of my concerns. But he put his hands on my shoulders, and looked at me, sincerity pouring from his big brown eyes, and said, "Mommy, I promise you don't have to worry about me." As I type this, tears are in my eyes. That night, they streamed down my cheeks. My tender D.

Parenting is definitely not for the faint of heart. And I realize why parents who don't have, or don't trust Christ as their Rock and Guide, give up. They disengage, putting walls up around their emotions. And although they seldomly voice this, they reason that by not allowing themselves to love their children fully, they won't be hurt as much when their kids fail. When they make a bad choice.

With God's strength and guidance though, we love our children fully. That's why each and every moment with them is special and, well, the "big" moments are emotional ones.

D's first year of youth group has passed. And, it has been a great one for him! I love that I can look back at this message, read of my concerns, and realize how God has grown and taught D throughout the course of this past year. He's become, and is becoming a young man of integrity, and man after God's own heart. I'm proud of him. I could write for hours about this, but I'll just leave it at that. I'm proud of him.

So now I prepare my heart for my second son entering. He's already been able to participate in a few Wednesday night activities, and is greatly enjoying his "right of passage" into youth group.

Here they both are, having a blast at this past Wednesday night's activities... (thank you, Kathy Crampton, for capturing the fun times and sharing them with us!)