Thanks Mom, I love you…
Five words that are routinely spoken on a daily basis to countless Moms (and Dads). Five little words that most parents dismiss without so much as a second thought. But five words that I cannot hear without being overwhelmed with gratitude for what God has done. Because there was a time when I didn’t think I would ever hear those words again.
My daughter and I have emerged from a very difficult teenage journey with a relationship that is better, stronger and with more mutual respect than I ever thought humanly possible. And every time she ends a conversation with “I love you,” my heart melts because I so desperately love her back.
Our turning point came when I overheard her talking to a friend about saving the baby sea turtles. I remember angrily thinking that she couldn’t even save herself – how was she going to save the sea turtles? But then it hit me like a ton of bricks….she was thinking about the sea turtles!!! She was NOT thinking about any of the destructive lifestyle choices that were available to her on a daily basis. This was good! This needed encouragement…
So we started talking about the baby sea turtles and what it would actually take to get involved in saving them. We did some research. We talked some more. And slowly, God brought her back to me. And somewhere along the line, I asked her if she thought there may be other teenagers out there who might benefit from having something bigger than themselves to believe in. The answer, of course, was yes!
So my daughter and I created “Changemaker Teens,” a place for teens to go to take a journey of self-discovery – to find that special something that would lead them on a path toward a meaningful future, especially if they were currently struggling.
I made an appointment to share Changemaker Teens with a local school district and was beyond excited to share our message. Unfortunately, my appointment fell on the very day that the school district announced their plan for remote learning because of the pandemic. It was absolute chaos. There would be no appointment that day.
So over the next year or two, we kept working and adding content so we would be ready when the world re-opened. But one day, I was watching the news and I realized that we didn’t have a moment to lose. The news was one terrible tragedy after another…In one 30-minute broadcast, there was a mass shooting, a report on the rapidly declining mental health of our teenagers, a drunk driving fatality, a case of animal abuse and a bully-related suicide. It was gut wrenching to watch. And it struck me that it was time to do something!
I thought about all of the good people in the world – it seems like we only hear about the bad and that’s not fair. I thought about all the people who wanted to do something, but didn’t know what to do or how to start. And I knew I wanted to mobilize these good people so we could make a difference in the world.
And then the second load of bricks fell on my head! (God was really trying to get my attention)! I didn’t just need good people. I needed good people who know, trust and believe in God! I needed good people who live their lives knowing that they can do all things through the strength and power of having Jesus by their side; who know that the wisdom of the Holy Spirit is surging through their lives, empowering them (us) to take action, no matter how scary it feels!
And most of all, I need people who know in their hearts that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and that He will equip us with whatever we need to carry out that plan! What a breakthrough!! Changemaker Teens instantly became Changemaker Churches and my mission has never been clearer:
I want everyone to know that God is preparing us for what He has planned for us! He has given us the skills, talents, hopes and dreams that will be needed to fulfill His plan and it’s up to us to get moving. We are not saved by our Faith Works, but we are still called upon to do them. Changemaker Churches was created to mobilize the good people of God as we take action to live the life that God has intended for us.