Journeying...

How long does it take to build a friendship with a teenager?

It's kind of a loaded question, because Jessica and Jodie can be best friends on Monday, fighting over Justin on Tuesday, not speaking on Wednesday, and completely reconciled on Thursday because Janie stole Justin away, and they're united in hating him.

But as an 'older person', how long is it before you get inside access and can really be a friend...I'm thinking back to my Taylor responsibilities and relationships as I think of friendship: edification, bearing with one another, burden-bearing, speaking the truth in love, and reconciliation, restoration, and restitution.

One of my students--we'll call her Ezzie--I started praying for her in September. I started by trying to be her friend, but she seemed rather turned off to that. So for months, all I did was pray for her.

In January--she finally responded to an event I had invited her to.

In February--she started coming to Monday Night Bible Study.

In March--she started talking to me more regularly.

In April--we started hanging out more--getting coffee, going shopping, hanging out.

And now it is May, and I finally believe that I've built a friendship with Ezzie...and I finally know that when I share the gospel with her directly this month, that she will listen to what I have to say. It doesn't mean she'll accept it or choose to live by it, but I have definitely earned the right to speak into her life because I've been praying for her eight months and really pursuing her for four months.

YD's mission statement is to "invite and challenge youth to a lifelong journey in relationship with Christ and His church," and my question is, how can we ever teach people that life with Christ is a journey if we are not willing to engage them in a journey as we minister to them? Obviously at some point, I will have to both invite and challenge Ezzie, which I will do....but regardless, by the time she hears it, she will already understand that I'm on a journey with her.