Who needs Christmas presents?

I have some time in the office waiting for a meeting with Mike, so I figured I'd share one of my favorite memories thus far from working with Middle Schoolers.

One of the duties that I performed as a Graduate Intern was to give a message to the kiddos every other week. One week I talked about how Jesus is the greatest gift (how I managed not to bring this up at Christmas time is beyond me.) I talked about how people just want to "go to Heaven" and that people could care less about spending eternal life with Jesus. I asked the kids how they would feel if they spent all their money, time, and effort on a party where no one would acknowledge them when they came into the party. Some said "sad" or upset" or "used". Then I went on to talk about how Heaven isn't just a place of happiness and chillin', but that it's an eternity spent with the Lord. I finished up with the importance of understanding that Heaven isn't about all the other things but how they are minor perks uncomparable to the time we spend with God.

Then I ended with a quote from John Piper which reads:
"The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—
is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the
friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and
all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties
you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no
human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with
heaven, if Christ were not there? "

After I posed this question we went to small groups. Allow me to paint you a picture. I was sitting in on a small group with 6th and 7th graders. These kids are among some of the wildest group of kids I have ever met in Youth Ministry. The type of kids where you never know what they are going to say next (most of the time you are fearful when they breathe in to speak). In the small group, I chimed in momentarily to pose the above question again to these middle schoolers to see what they would say. If you are smart middle schooler, to avoid gasps and stares by your fellow junior high friends, you would answer the question with a resounding "NO!" But usually that no is followed by a shallow Sunday School statement as to why they said no: (Because the Bible tells me so)

But this time, that was not the case.

I lean in and asked the group "Would you be satisfied with Heaven if Christ wasn't there?" And right on cue, the group says "no". Then I followed with the question of all questions, "Why not?" And the response that I got was worth every moment spent preparing for this talk. Without hesitation, a notriously wild middle schooler responsed by saying: Because that would be like waking up on Christmas morning and getting every present except the one you really wanted.

This response is the fuel to my fire and among the reasons why I do what I do. I hope this story brought you joy, and if you are someone working in youth ministry who may discouraged or unsure why you are even there, let this story be your fuel as well. Because although times can be stressful, much like this life in comparison to our glory in the Lord, the taste of the fruit is worth the hours spent in the field.