Sometimes when we are the closest to giving up, God answers our deepest prayers. It is a testament to His faithfulness that He can (and will) respond if we are willing to patiently wait. I have found in my life that no ministry reveals this truth better than Student Ministry. Seeing God answer prayers while serving as a LifeGroup leader has been one of the greatest joys of my life. For the last three years, I have had the opportunity to invest deeply in the lives of a group of boys who are (at the time of writing this) entering their freshman year of high school. At the same time, I have also experienced deep frustration, disappointment, and impatience amidst the joy of getting to know them. This past summer, my group proved to be more challenging than I was prepared for.
Harvey Cedars, our annual summer retreat at the beach, has always been an incredible opportunity to connect with students. I had been here many times before, but this year I came in feeling rather intimidated. Out of six regular LifeGroup leaders, I was the only familiar face for the roughly fifteen 8th grade boys attending camp. It quickly became clear that I would need to take on some added responsibility, and because of that, I began the journey feeling pessimistic. Little did I know that despite these feelings, God would respond to a three-year-long prayer in only 4 short days.
It was only night two. The boys were wild, high on an adrenaline rush, and distracted during lessons and discussion. At bedtime, none of them would go to sleep. I eventually gave up, rolled over in my bed, and shut my eyes. Thinking I fell asleep, they began engaging in inappropriate conversation that was unbecoming of a Christian. It was then that the Holy Spirit stirred my heart, prompting me to use this as a teachable moment. Without this gracious prodding, I likely would have remained distraught and discouraged the rest of the week. However, God reminded me that although I may have been done, He was not.
The next morning, I woke up early and prepared for a difficult conversation with the boys. I shared with them two sets of verses: Titus 2:7-8 (the importance of acting beyond reproach, with integrity and dignity) and Ephesians 2:1-9 (a reminder of God’s saving grace and the bestowing of faith in our lives). I urged the boys to reflect on and act in accordance with these verses. They apologized to me for the previous night and sat in silence for awhile. Then, something amazing happened – they began discussing how they could keep each other accountable in their speech. Then, they agreed to pray together. We huddled up, went around the circle, and prayed for each person to glorify God in all that they say and do. I was overjoyed and praised God for such a powerful moment!
But God still wasn’t done.
Before going to our morning session, one of the guys approached me and asked for further prayer. He felt deep shame from what happened the night before, and said he was having a hard time reconciling his behavior because it was not “how a Christian should act at all.” I reminded him that we all still sin, despite our saving faith. It’s only through God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can live lives pleasing to God. He had simply forgotten who he was in Christ. We then prayed, but something was still off. During the evening session, this boy left the auditorium, very upset. A few of his friends and I followed him outside. As we sat on a bench together, he testified that he had been living as a Christian in word, but not deed. He wanted to accept Christ as his Savior and fully commit to live for His glory. God had worked another miracle! We prayed together and went back inside, both of us with big smiles on our faces.
But God wasn’t done.
As the week went on, discussion time became more meaningful and intentional. It was extremely encouraging. I also had the most fun I have ever had with these boys. I stopped bracing myself for bad behavior and began enjoying real connection.
It was the last night of camp, the night that West Shore holds an acoustic worship night in the chapel just for our students. It is always a powerful time of worship and sharing. Students are given the opportunity to go up in front of everyone and speak about what God has done in their lives over the course of the week. Some of the guys had already expressed interest in doing this, and I was excited to hear what each of them would share. 
When the time came, my expectations were exceeded. Amongst the students standing in line to share was one who I never guessed would be there. Often far-removed and disengaged, it was hard to get to know him. But right before it was his turn, he fled out of the room. I followed him out, my co-leader right behind me. It was the first time I had ever heard him talk about anything serious, share his feelings, and – most importantly – cry. Suddenly, his behavior for the last three years made perfect sense. He explained how he longed for community but could never place enough trust in those around him. He admitted he wanted to share with everyone how he finally experienced real community here at camp, but didn’t know if he truly believed it. And yet, after some prayer and encouragement in a cramped chapel bathroom, he stepped back into the room and shared his story. The Lord had done it again!
Despite my sinful doubts, God was never done working at Harvey Cedars. In fact, God was never done from the very beginning. Even after Adam and Eve sinned, and all of humanity along with them, God still planned for redemption through the death and resurrection of his own Son. We ought to always bear this in mind as we pray for redemption ourselves. For me, it was for redemption in the lives of my students. God has always been faithful and always will be. When we forget his faithfulness, we end up rolling over, closing our eyes, and hoping it just all goes away – just like I did. But when we remember what is true, we can roll back over, open our eyes, and confront the hurt in this world head-on. Because although we might be done with the world, God isn’t.
Learn more about our Student Ministry, including ways to serve, pray, and give.
