My Middle School Heart Needed You

“It is my true honor to share with you a small part of the work Jesus has done in me.

Coming from a catholic background, I was the youngest of 4 kids, and my family was falling apart amidst the beautiful middle school season. Week after week, I’d find myself at the middle school Campus Life program in the Northview area. The volunteers and directors were people I looked up to and the Christ-centered messages were hitting home. Although I was a student of few words after a hard topic, I would process it and hold on to those words for weeks. God was working in my heart. He showed me His stability was far greater than my failing family. A relationship with Jesus made complete sense to me, and after a Thursday night discussion about Eternity, I knew with all my heart that I wanted to spend forever with Jesus.

Continued involvement in Campus Life is what shaped my high school path, which then set me up for life after high school. My Campus Life directors showed me Christ’s love in a very tangible way – as in, I finished my senior year living in their house – and that same couple is still displaying Christ’s love not just to me, but to my husband and our 3 kids. YFC was the catapult for that lifelong relationship – that only God could have formed. I am not suggesting any of you take in students and graft them into your family, but I would like to encourage you to never put limits on God and what He may put on your heart.

After I acknowledged Jesus as my Savior, my life hasn’t been perfect, but I have peace in Jesus
that I’d take over perfection any day.

In 8th grade, I clung to the security in the only stable thing in this world – God will never leave or forsake me. It’s God’s father-heart that I am so thankful to have experienced at such an early age because it made for a non-wavering, healing journey as I dealt with my dad’s suicide at age 21.

I cannot share my story without the significant role YFC and the people involved, have had on my life. Campus Life is where I learned so many basic truths – it is a ministry that is unexplainable because God has used it so radically in my life. God’s pursuit of me THROUGH the YFC volunteers and directors, did not only affect me. The transforming work affected my high school classmates, my soccer team, my siblings, my parents, my friend’s parents, my co-workers, my husband, now our kids, our neighbors…as you can see, the ripple effect of God’s work never ends…but YOU may be the one that starts the work in a student!

I am now over 30, and I’m still so thankful for the individuals involved in this ministry in many capacities. For me personally, I have had a change of perspective as I’ve grown – and I hope it inspires you to keep going. I am blown away that God LETS me be a part of growing His Kingdom, I GET to share the Good News. He LETS you all be a part of his work through YFC – and you will be rewarded in eternity. So keep on giving, praying, and showing up, because my middle school heart needed you.”

Written by Bethany, WMYFC alumna