My Farewell to the Youth...

As requested by some of you out there, I am including my speech from the other week, which was my last talk at Prime Time on Wednesday night:

In the close of Rainer Maria Rilke's 8th letter to a young poet, he writes, "Do not believe that he who seeks to comfort you lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life has much difficulty and sadness...Were it otherwise he would never have been able to find those words." Let's pray.

Father, it is you who led me to this place. It is you who led me to these people. I thank you for the time you have given us together. I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will be pure and that you will continue to speak to and through every single person in this room as I know you will. It is through the promise and hope of Jesus' name that I pray these things. Amen.

Like Lloyd Christmas said in Dumb & Dumber, "I hate goodbyes!" but thanks be to God, he has taught me--and still is teaching me--about the importance of not complaining about the short time I may have w/ someone or some people, or dwelling on the things doen together that will be missed, but to thank him for the opportunity to share the time w/ those I've come to love and care for. For the things he taught me through them and how he showed me himself in them. Those are the things that I will consume my thoughts and self w/. I will forever hold them in my heart and they will always be in my smile. They have been added to my sotry and we have written something in His Story, which nothing can touch.

As Ben Harper sings in his song Happy Everafter In Your Eyes, "All I have to give you is forever yours to keep." My prayer is that you've learned something from me bc I sure have learned many things from you! However, my prayer is even more so that if you did learn something good and beneficial that you would not so much thank me, but thank God for the things he has, is, and will be doing in and through me. I just thank him for counting me worthy--when I'm not even close to being worthy--of showing himself in and through me.

When I leave, the foundation of your faith and the foundation of this youth group should not budge bc I am not your foundation! There should be no wavering! I am human. All I can do is strive to be the best human/person I can be by the power that has been graced to me. The only comfort I can give is from the Comforter. The only healing I can give comes from the Healer. The love I give is only graced to me from Love itself. If you're searching for it, I pray you would, and will, go to the Source of it all. I will fail you. I will always fall short--no matter how hard I try. I can't always be there for you. He will never fail you. He can't fall short. He will always be there for you. God never promised us easy, though he did promise us peace. When we search for it, we will find it.

If I have pointed you to me rather than to him, my time w/ you has been in vain. I don't think that's the case, though, bc I know I have seen God working in many of you and it's been the most amazing and awe-filled thing to see--watching him prune and water the seed sown in your life. Another prayer of mine is that you will continually view yourself and others as "works in progress." Never stop in loving God w/ all your hear, mind, soul, body, and strength, and continually learning how you can do this more so you may be able to love and accept others as he loves and accepts them...unconditionally.

I guess the "last thing" I'd like to leave you w/ is somewhat of a challenge, but one that is not a one-time thing. Continually pray that God will allow you to see life and the world through his eyes. I promise that you will be forever changed and realize there is nothing better and how much beauty there is around us.

May God continue to bless each and every one of you as I know he already has!