Beyond Assumption

Never assume anything. Never underestimate what God is doing. A team of teens from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan are returning to the plains today after eight extraordinary days in Bolivia. Some had never been beyond the sprawling skies of their own province until they boarded the plane just over a week ago. This afternoon they will fly over continents to arrive in Canada again, hopefully changed and impacted by their experience.

Over the week, I assumed that most of them had not been overly impacted or spiritually moved. My impression as I watched them interact and mingle with each other and our own Bolivian youth was that they were here to have fun and seek adventure. I pulled out stickers labelled "superficial" and I slapped them on several foreheads. Instead, it was my evaluation that fell flat and proved shallow.

I fled the farewells that will be happening in a few hours, but I was there last night as 23 of us sat down and delved into the depths of the past 8 days. I was moved by what several of these young people had to stay. Along with some of the other leaders, I recognized that I had stereotyped a number of these adolescents and categorized them inappropriately. One young man made a comment that struck me profoundly. Speaking of the street kids and of the Nacer homes he said something like this, "I don't get it. I saw these kids on the streets, living hard lives, and I wondered why they stayed there when there are places like Nacer that they could run to...and then I realized that we're the same way."

We are the same way. Street kids prefer the streets because that is what they know. The lime jugglers, flame throwers, squeegie kids, and glue sniffers are their family. The canals and sidewalks are their domain. The freedom from restrictions and authority beckons insistently and unceasingly. Our homes offer a sense of normalcy and regularity. They provide beds, clothing, and food. Sounds like a good deal, and yet the allure of city avenues and constant traffic draws kid after kid back into it's lair.

So often we lie in our own dismal dens of fleshly desires and selfish demands. Self-pity is having a party and we just can't turn down the invitation. We opt to wander the streets of egocentricity and sleep on the cement of self sufficiency. We juggle thoughts of indignation and resentment, tossing up justifications for all to see. We've sniffed the vapours of our own foolishness for so long that the wisdom of seeking refuge and security doesn't even register.

My assumption about these teenagers was a poor one. God is always at work in all of us, at every age. Last night, one young man spoke briefly but more deeply than he may have realized. Thanks for coming Saskatchewan team! Forgive me for not saying goodbye. Keep on being impacted and being an impact for the kingdom. Don't let anyone look down on you for being young, not even a fellow Canadian who underestimated the potential and the character of some unforgettable highschoolers.