Five

When I was in the seventh grade, Joelle invited me to SHINE.  SHINE was the Junior High Youth Group at Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church.  I am thankful that Joelle invited me to go with her that Thursday night.  Even more than that, I am thankful that the leaders at SHINE, and at Wyld Life and Young Life, in the following years loved me, even when I wasn't easy to love.

Bre, Lydia, Bethany, Chris, The Cole's, Lyle, Jeremy, LC, Curtis, Rebecca, Mutter, Seth - the list goes on and on and on.  These young adults simply showed up.  There was nothing fancy about the way they loved on us kids.  They took us on trips - which looking back was a huge sacrifice of their time and money. They took us to Cotijas for tacos and to Christy's for donuts.  They showed up to our sporting events, chaperoned our dances, and drove us all over this city and even state sometimes.

They shared their lives with us - allowing us to see them in their best and worst times.  All the while, showing us Jesus in the simplest and purest ways.  They didn't force Jesus on us.  They didn't fight with us to get us to believe in the Jesus that they believed in.  They loved Jesus, welcomed us into their lives, and allowed us to see how all of that played itself out.

As I am working with high school students, I am constantly reminded of how well these leaders loved.  I am reminded of the candid conversations and of how honest they were with us.  I am reminded of how important it is to have positive influences and good role models.

I can say, with all the confidence in the world, that I would not be who I am today if it weren't for each of those leaders in my life.  Statistically, I beat the odds.  Looking at my home situation and different curve balls that were thrown my way throughout life, I should have been a teen mom, have a drug/alcohol problem, be in an abusive relationship, be a ridiculous mess of a person, dead, or a combination of all of the above.  I am proud to say I am none of the above.

So to all of you leaders that loved me, especially when it wasn't very easy to do so - THANK YOU.  Thank you for loving me and showing me Jesus.