Before venturing off to focus my life on the call of serving as a youth evangelist, I was a youth pastor for several years in Rochester. One of my ongoing messages or themes that I would often tell my teens was to be aware of the younger generation that is coming after them, for they are going to lead them. The teens that I had in my youth ministry would lead my children in different ways. I was always convicted about this message, but didn’t think that I would actually ever see evidence of it come to be reality.
Enter this school year…
Our youngest started full day preschool this year and we couldn’t be more excited for her. It’s the same place our son went two years ago and he really enjoyed himself, learned, and grew socially, spiritually, and emotionally at preschool. We learned who our daughter would have and it was, believe it or not, our son’s old teacher! We were pumped, but it’s a similar theme to all of our kids this year having teachers we were familiar with.
Breah has Seth’s old preschool teacher. Seth has Mya’s old first grade teacher. Mya has her old kindergarten teacher who moved up to fourth grade. As you can tell, it’s a pretty interesting pattern that we have going on with our kids this year and their respective teachers.
On Breah’s first day of preschool, I had the chance to walk in and low and behold, not only was Seth’s old teacher in the room, but there was a second teacher on hand. It was, you guessed it, one of my former youth group teens now married and working professionally in her field. This story has come full circle as we have now personally experienced an ongoing theme and message that had resonated back in my youth pastoring days!
I love the patterns that God seems to establish and His incredible sense of humor. We all have these different full circle moments that remind us of the messages that we communicate to those around us. You never know how these things will come alive and what you will experience as a result. My former teens are now pouring back into my kids. It’s happening and it is such an incredible thing to see and witness. I’m glad that I’ve had the chance to pour out because now my kids are seeing it come back into their lives from others! Remember to live sold out to the Lord, because you never know how it will come back and impact your family in the future!
Much Love, Jay