DAY 26- YOUTH

Day 26 – April 3, 2025

Joe Vonderheide and Jaz Pylant work with the youth of the church and had a discussion on “wilderness” with them.  Wilderness means so many different things, as we are seeing from our daily devotionals, that we felt it important to remember what that type of wilderness might mean to our students – and, how they respond to that isolation with faith.  Here are some of the statements the Student Ministry Team shared with our Lenten Devotionals crew:

Wilderness often happens during times of change.  How can we face that wilderness and get through it?

• Conviction – trusting in God’s plan instead of trying to be in control all the time.
• Hope – hoping for a future of new beginnings. God always creates new beginnings and endings
• Actions – have a position attitude toward the path you are on, instead of being negative. TRUST GOD!
• New – embracing the new path God has for you
• Growth – acknowledge what God has done for you and how his path has made you grow as a person
• Embrace – embracing the change in your life

One of the examples shared by a student involved making a change in schools.  The student had great anxiety about being in a new place, feeling way outside of her comfort zone, but believed that God had angels ready to welcome her into the new space. That sense of welcome made the student feel much more secure in the new path.  This sharing convicts us to think of how often we have opportunities to be used by God to welcome those who are new at church, school, work, or social settings.  When you meet someone new, how do you make them feel?  If you have your own anxieties in social settings, pray to God to help you find ways to cope so that He may be glorified in our interactions with each other.   We are called to be ambassadors for Christ and He is with us.

– United Youth of Huntsville First UMC

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we feel awkward, self-conscious, or just plain odd. We can’t think of the right words and are terrified we will look stupid, silly, or ignorant. Our self-doubt can be misunderstood by those we come in contact with, Lord, and we end up running more people away from you than to you.  Help us to have the right words, the right heart, and the right spirit to be one of your angels in a hurting, distant, and mixed-up world. Amen.