Over the past few weeks my attention has shifted to preparation mode for an upcoming mission trip with a group of grade 11 students going to Guatemala in just over 6 weeks. I have had the pleasure of leading and being part of over 20 trips in my my life, but this one opened my eyes a tad to some old thinking I had in my younger leadership days.
As I met with parents, team leaders and students our attention turns to prayer. Not that it had been missed or even neglected it in fact had its central part in all we were doing. When I self examined myself I found myself praying with parents "Lord we pray for safety" or travelling mercies or protection. Now this is not wrong to do, I would even say we need to pray for those things, but perhaps for me it is not to be the first prayer out of my mouth as it has been. A simple word that I have heard so many times in ministry, classroom and conversations came to mind and has been there since. "Transformation." I used to pray for protection, safety and trip details, because those things effected me. How would I handle all those things. However I have been reminded that transformation is something God does and is in control of, not me. When I sent my prayer letter out for the trip I started by asking for prayer for students to be transformed, that is my hope now, not just for safety and a good trip so parents and leaders will think well of me.
This generation of students who I see as crusaders and those who want to make a difference have less concern for being comfortable or safe, it is God who wants them to be transformed.
1 comment:
Hey Wayne,
Thanks for your perspective. I agree with you in terms of praying for transformation instead of safety. I also agree that this emerging generation of young people is significant. I wouldn't use the term crusader because of the historical negativity surrounding the word. Instead, I see them as being agents of change or restoration. As a father of three young kidlets, I'm filled with great hope because of the potential that I see in this generation. I believe it is part of our responsibility as youth workers to nurture this potential and to provide opportunities, environments and experiences through with transformation can occur.
Imagine how different the Canadian landscape might be if we mobilized this generation to be who God has created them to be?
Jason
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