One Body

     God is really wanting me to be transparent here, I am not happy to admit that I was watching several members of a youth group and thinking they should have sat at the back of the event we were attending. ...but...God used it to teach me and maybe can teach you through my transparency...?
      We were at a Revival and enjoying great teaching, but we sat close to the youth group, you know that age where the kids are still feeling that they have to be “cool” and not interested in the things that adults value? 

     Well, the speaker was one of those that wants you to look at your neighbor and share some point, so I looked at this young man/boy next to me wearing a “Chicago Bulls” hat (which I huffed to myself that he should take off in church!) he had a sealed off face with a look that didn’t make me want to share anything with him! But God doesn’t leave me to what I want to do in situations like these, He made me reach over and tap this guy and share with him. Man was that guy surprised! And then I think God had the speaker add a lot more sharing moments and the young guy next to me started “thawing”, the rest of the youth group started watching and giggling every time there was a “share” moment and they were all smiling, I winked at one of the girls and kept sharing with Mr Chicago. By the end of the teaching, God had really put that young man on my heart and he had started smiling too! 

     Then they called for everyone wanting prayer and Lane and I went forward for prayer, we love to go forward for prayer! You can never have too much prayer! While I was up there I looked around for my young neighbor, Mr Chicago and couldn’t find him, I glanced back at the seats and he was still there! I started waving at him to come up front, he started smiling and shaking his head, I tried several times but he would have none of it!
     I knew he was supposed to be prayed for so I talked to his Youth Leader and checked to make sure if it was okay if I took the prayer to him and prayed for him? The Youth Leader said “Yes!” So I went back to the seats and told the young man I was supposed to pray for him, would that be okay? He told me his name was “Gracen”, I’m not sure that is how it’s spelled but what I heard was “Grace On” and I told him that I heard “Grace On”, that God’s grace is on him and I prayed for him as God’s Mighty Man, that he will lead many to Christ through the Grace that God has put on him and that he has courage and joy unlimited, that he will face the enemy and not back down and not be afraid and joy will be with him everywhere he goes! Wow....all of that from thinking he should have sat further back and taken off his hat!?
     What if I had kept my fussy attitude about this group of uninterested kids? I am so thankful that God allowed me to see more in these young people than is visible to the human eye. He allowed me to see His future army in the making! He is raising up an army that we may not yet recognize but we need to be there to encourage them! Pray for them, reach out to them and smile at them! Let them know we are for them and not against them! We are all one body! No division by age, sex or color....we are the Body of Christ! We are His Bride! Stand together! Support and Encourage each other!