How God has used our youth to help me

...one thing to remember is that we don't get to choose our testimony

In the summer of 2011, Buddy and I began helping with the youth group at our church. We are very passionate about working with students and striving to make a positive difference in their lives. We desire to be there for them and encourage them during a very critical and trying chapter of their lives. When Thomas was born in May 2014, our time with the youth group had to be placed on hold. Because of our situation with Thomas being in and out of the hospital, we honestly didn’t know when the time would come that we would be able to work with our students again.

This was difficult for us because we love them very much, but we were completely devoted to Thomas and caring for him. It was during this time, when Buddy and I were weak and at our most trying time of our lives that our students were there for us, lifting us up, loving us, encouraging us and constantly in prayer for us.

Buddy and I returned to church about two months after Thomas passed away. We made the decision to attend a life group with couples close to our age for a while. Our teachers were starting a study on Job and we believed that’s exactly what we needed. In the spring, Buddy began asking me when I thought I’d be ready to start helping with the youth again. I told him I didn’t know, and at the time I didn’t believe it would be anytime soon. I even started considering serving in a different part of the church. The reason: How could I pour into students’ lives when I wasn’t there myself, if that makes any sense? Being in deep, dark depression I knew there was no way I could invest in students’ lives. After a lot of time and prayer, God began to change things. He placed a couple of situations in front of me that really spoke to me. One in particular was watching a student completely turn his life around and give his entire being to Christ. This is a student who would ridicule Christians, and really anyone for that matter. And what he doesn’t know is that God used him to change my life. It was when I witnessed this student serving Christ and encouraging his friends for the Lord that opened my eyes. God was showing me where He wanted me, and that was with our students. I talked with Buddy about it and he was ready as long as I was. So, we told our youth pastor we would like to begin helping with the youth again in June and he was thrilled!

Every summer, our students participate in Operation Change, a week-long series of mission projects across our community. Projects include some construction – building ramps, decks and repairing roofs, as well as painting, clean-up, etc. I knew without a doubt I wanted to help this year. I know you’re probably thinking, “What...you’re pregnant?!?!” There were other ways I could be involved, including being a runner. I took the kids popsicles and anything else that was needed at the job sites. I was also able to help prepare meals. Buddy and I would attend the worship sessions in the evenings as well. It was such a great week to get to know the new students that had moved up. God really used that week to help me with healing. On Wednesday, I ended up at a job site I wasn’t even supposed to be at helping with a local food bank. Before we left the site, the founder of the organization asked me about my necklace of Thomas. I told her that was my son in Heaven. She asked me what his name was and when I told her she just hugged me and held me. She had been following us and our story on Facebook for quite some time and realized then who I was. She would even share our posts to help raise awareness. She told me before I left that she was going to have some of her volunteers take me into her prayer room to pray over me. One of the volunteers knew me but the other two didn’t. It didn’t matter; they prayed over me and cried with me anyway. It was a very intimate and emotional time, it was a God moment. He knew that’s exactly what I needed, and what’s so funny about it is that I wasn’t even supposed to be there that day. It’s amazing how God works!

Also during that week, our former pastor was one of the guest speakers during an evening worship session. He spoke to our students about God’s plan and purpose for their lives. God has a plan and purpose for each of us, we just have to seek direction from Him and trust Him. Throughout my pastor’s message, I felt God tugging at my heart telling me to speak up at the end so I did, and this is what I told our students: “I’m going to try to get through this without crying, but I felt that God wanted me to share with you guys. I want to be with Thomas more than anything in this world, but I’m not there with him, I’m here, so I know God still has a purpose for my life here on this Earth. God will lead you and guide you and show you your purpose, you just have to seek Him and trust Him. And one thing to remember is that we don’t get to choose our testimony. Growing up, you’re led to believe that the plan is to graduate high school, go to college, get married and have kids, and that it’s going to work out perfectly. But, that’s not always how it happens. We don’t understand why things happened the way they did with Thomas, but we’re choosing to trust God and seek His plan for our lives. So just remember that things may not always turn out the way you want, but God has a purpose and He will use you.” I don’t know if there was a dry eye in the room when I finished. This was just another reminder that I was right where God wanted me.

Buddy and I also went on our youth’s beach trip this summer and recently went camping with the Life Groups we help teach. We have had such a fun time with each of our students and getting to know them. We have actually grown very close to them. God has used them to help me with healing. They put a smile on my face; they’re what I needed. Not only am I hopefully helping to make a difference in their lives, but they are making a difference in my life, just in a different way and I’m truly grateful. As hard as the past eight months have been, it has been amazing to watch God move and continue to unfold our story.

CLICK HERE to view more pictures of our precious youth group.