Doing God's work knows no age

November 8, 2008 YFC Youth Camp

I wrote this about my experience at YFC Youth Camp. The kids there were amazing. They have such hearts for God. I am renewed in my faith through their awesome testimonies and their hearts for God. I look back and I think if only I had the heart for God when I was their age. It is amazing to see and hear them speak of God's love and how they have been changed. I hope and pray that they continue to seek the Lord and hunger for Him. This experience was a quite a unique one. I never expected an experience like this but we should never doubt or question the awesome power of God. He has His master plan and how things are meant to be. We should continue to follow Him and do His will. When you do, He will reveal His truth. He will make amazing things happen. You will see His awesome power revealed right in front of you. You will be amazed just as I am every time God uses me as His instruments. Here is my experience at YFC Youth Camp.

My book is tattered and almost destroyed but by God's awesome power it fell into the hands of two youth leaders -- Angie and Mico. I came to Youth Camp wondering if I could minister to the youth. They are almost an entire generation younger than me. How am I going to minister to the youth? How are they going to understand my experience? How am I going to understand theirs? Well, I realize now that if the Spirit is going to move you, then the Spirit is going to move you regardless of age. While at youth camp I brought my journal just in case anything should come up where I felt I had to write it down. I always try to keep it ready in case I am moved to write. During camp, they had plans to take the kids to Confession and then to Mass. So before leaving for Church I placed my journal on top of my car and without realizing it was there, I drove away. I had not even noticed it was gone until Mico had come up to me at camp after returning from Church. He had a sad and scared look on his face. He pulled me to the side and said, "Ate, we have something that belongs to you." I was confused. I asked what. He said, "We found your journal." Still confused I said, "Oh, I must have left it around camp." That is when he told me that they had found it in the road while walking to Church. That is when I realized I had left it on top of my car when I had driven to Church. He was so scared to tell me that they had read it. He said that Angie and him had found it and read it. He told me they were so touched and inspired. When they first started to read it they did not know whose story it was or if it even was real. They just kept reading. They thought to stop because they thought it might be too personal. But they were drawn to keep reading. They wanted to know how it all ended. They hungered for more. The more they read it, the more they wanted to keep reading it. They wondered if it was real or a joke or even if they were supposed to read it. They did not know whose story it was but they knew whoever story it was then that person was really filled with the Holy Spirit. When they got to the end, they realized whose story it was. Mico realized it was mine because I had told him how I found God through Father Halbing. He read it in my testimony. They realized the story was mine and the story was real. They were touched. They were moved. They were inspired. They thought I was going to be mad or angry. I was not mad. I was not angry. I was glad that God would allow me to minister to them in secret and then reveal that it was me in the end at the right time. It had been some time since I had read what I had actually written in there so while the kids were doing their pray over I had reread what I had written. It was then that I realized how deep and personal it was. I felt a little frightened and scared that they had read something so personal. I realized that they had read about my past and about my days without God. They read about my days of parties and sex. I became afraid for them to have read that and know that about me. Then I realized it was just as important for them to know that about me. It was important for them to know my journey is real and filled with human struggle. Now they knew from my experience what not to do. They may or may not have the same experiences I had, but they know that God will never leave them or forsake them. Even if they turn away from their faith, God will take them back with loving arms saying, "Welcome home my son! Welcome home my daughter!" We know that God rejoices when even one sheep who was missing returns to the flock. I had an opportunity to talk to both of them for a short while about my testimony. You could tell that they were moved and inspired. You could tell that their lives were changed. They even told me that they read it not once but five times. They just could not put it down. They even read it into the microphone so that they could give it the right emotion and feeling as it was written. They just could not put it down. I am glad they found it. I am glad they read it. I am glad that it was revealed to them whose story it was. I am glad that God showed me how I was going to minister the youth. I am reminded to never stop preaching the Good News of our Lord. No matter how old or how young, you will never know who you are going to inspire. We all are able to minister to everyone of all ages -- young or old. If the Spirit is going to inspire you, then the Spirit is going to inspire you. We cannot control how or when the Spirit is going to work.

I have also learned that I must continue to journal into a notebook or on paper. I know now that the Spirit really works through me. I even learned from Angie that my writing changes as the Spirit begins to work in me. You can see when I am no longer in control and it becomes the Spirit writing the truth through my hand and my words on the page. The writing gets harder and harder to read but as I look back on what I wrote I realize I can read every word I wrote and said. As Angie and Mico read it, the Spirit made it clear to them what was written. Angie kept saying that Mico had a hard time reading it at the very end but they wanted so bad to continue so Angie began to read. The Spirit continued to reveal to the the truth that was written in my testimony. It was important for them to have read it. God planned it. Everything happens according to His plan and His will. He is never too early or too late. He is always on time. I am glad He revealed a way for me to minister to the youth even if it was just Angie and Mico. It was to the right people at exactly the right time.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to minister and witness through my writings. Through my writings you reveal your Word. Never doubt the amazing power of God and how He is going to use us. He has a plan for all of us in everything we do. He reveals that plan in His own time. We have to be willing to surrender to God and allow Him to work through us. Help us, Lord, to remember to witness and spread the Good News to all both young and old alike. It is not us who inspires. It is the Holy Spirit.

Let us all continue to minister and evangelize to everyone no matter the age -- young OR old.

(To read the testimony that inspired Angie and Mico see my blog entry on How my faith came to be...from the beginning until now)