Understanding Blue

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ

– Philippians 1:6

Having a dog is not like having a child. When William and I decided, or rather William decided he would let us get a dog, we knew there would be a big change and our lifestyle. We knew that responsibility towards the dog would have to take precedent over our own leisure time.

Although takeing care of a puppy does not match the responsibilities of caring for a tiny human being, this has been the first time in my life that I can really see developmental and cognitive growth in a creature day-to-day. William and I are paying attention to the little triumphs of maturity, and, at the same time, somewhat lamenting how quickly he is growing.

The week we got Blue, we were playing with him in the backyard of William’s parents home. The 10 week old pup was really getting the hang of fetch, and we were all very excited. The trouble was he was still very small and easily distracted. Sometimes he would get lost trying to bring back the ball, and he also did not yet possess the cognitive ability of object permanence. Anytime he lost site of the ball he was not able to predict where it will show back up next.

However, last week we were playing fetch in the same backyard, and the ball was thrown behind one of the patio chairs. William and I both siged and started to get up to retrieve the ball because we believe we would not understand where the ball had gone. Surprisingly, Blue bounded after the ball with perfect clarity and purpose. William and I shared an exciting cheer taking note of his new level of understanding.

My absolute favorite part of ministry, especially youth ministry, is when I get to see firsthand a young person passed to a new level of understanding in faith. I live for the “I finally get it” moment which an experiences of Jesus always provides.

Lately, I’ve been blessed to witness some wonderful moments of revelation for my students.

One student realized how vital love is to our society and got involved in promoting it within her school.

One student, upon returning home from a mission trip, said that she realize for the first time there was a hurt outside her own hurt and a world outside her own town.

One student was able to make peace with a very difficult piece of scripture and now has a better understanding of the teachings of Jesus.

I believe that every faith journey is made up of these little milestones. And I enjoy working with youth because I believe that it is in our younger years that we are more open to hearing God’s voice.

I hope that you are experiencing new understanding day-to-day. I want all of my students to engage life with perfect clarity and purpose. And I pray that we all might press on in faith, learning, growing, and flourishing in the teachings of Jesus.

It is indeed exciting to see something “click” for the first time for another person, but it’s even more exciting to experience it within your own soul.