This photo brings back so many memories. It was just another regularly scheduled youth outing, this time at the beach. Or was it? It's amazing how many seemingly ordinary moments are actually filled with the most extraordinary treasures if we would just pay closer attention.
The time frame of this picture was about eleven spring breaks ago, but it seems like almost a lifetime ago. These precious, beautiful baby girls are all grown up now, so they say anyway. If I could just go back in time, I wouldn't only have snapped that picture, but I would have also gotten down & dirty in the sand with them. Yes, we would have rolled around and laughed and giggled and laughed and giggled and then laughed and giggled some more.
I'm sure they would've had a lot of fun burying me in the sand. Looking back now, I would have let them do it just so that I could bury & safely keep that [only imagined] treasure of memory in my heart for days like this. Time goes by so swiftly. Moments roll by like clouds. And some of the greatest treasures like these are fragile and far too infrequent.
What one would give now for some time on the beach with the young ones. Like most churches. We didn't have much time with our youth at all in 2020. I don't know how they feel about it, but to me, it's depressing and makes my heart sad. I worry about their hearts right now with so much cruelty and evil on the rampage. I'm more than concerned about all the evil distractions strategically aimed at them, daring to draw their hearts away from God.
Missing school for a year would have an enormous impact on most kids'... I can only imagine the eternal, spiritual impact that not coming together as the church for almost a year has had on them. Maybe they're practicing on their own the many biblical truths we've always tried to teach them. Maybe their parents hold them accountable and pour into them more directly like good parents are supposed to do anyway. But then again, perhaps I just want a hug.
BUT .... We can't go back in time and hug them. Besides, at their age, we can't hug them too much now anyways, COVID or not. They don't want us to get too close, you know? Remember, some of them started social distancing well before we needed social distance because of Covid. So, I'm quite sure that hugs are sort of - kind of out of the question for most.
However, here's what we can do: We can still PRAY and PRAY we must strive as fervently as we know-how for our young adults, teenagers, youth, young children, and babies. They need us now like never before. Please, please lift them in your prayers. After all, they won't be children for long & for God's sake, if you see any of them around the house somewhere, please give them a big, fat, JHOW HUG for me.
Father's Favor,
Pastor Mel
