Vision...

On Sunday Perry preached a bold and powerful message about having an effective prayer life and being an effective Christian. He challenged us to pray and ask God to show us why we were created, to ask God to allow us to see as he sees, and to ask him what our next step is to walk in His will. I've been praying those three things since Sunday and God is already rocking my world.
Honestly, since I've been interning at NewSpring this summer I've been really questioning my call to teach middle school. After working for such an amazing church, with constant vision and constant encouragement, it is hard imagine going back to work in a place that drains life. Not to say that the school I will be teaching at is bad, it is an awesome school, but the demands that are put on teachers in general are stretching...and every teacher is stretched--hoping for survival, no time to pour out encouragement to others.
But, God is stirring some awesome vision in me. I realize now that I am questioning my calling because I am comfortable. My needs are being met, and my cup is overflowing without much effort. It's time that I step outside of this comfort zone and listen to what God has for me...rather than resting on my assets.
I can't help but notice the pain and emptiness in the middle school age children today. Among young people aged 10-14 years, the suicide rate has doubled in the last two decades. I cannot get this fact out of my mind. They are hurting. What is it that they need?
Around 70% of these children are growing up in broken homes. What does this mean? What does filling this need look like? What is it that I need to do to love these kids. I have to do more than teach 7th grade English. Yes, I will encounter around 110 kids a day, ages 12-14...yes, I can give them my love and support. But what more can I do. I feel like I can do more. But what does that look like? I want to fill this need in the name of Jesus. But how do I do it?
It's easy to feed the hungry and clothe the naked...but how do you love a teenager?