for Adam

There's a term that I heard tossed around in youth ministry quite a lot: fringe kids. The kids who don't quite fit in. The ones that are at every event but are never really present. The kids who might want to join in but don't feel comfortable taking the first step. These are the kids that my heart will always go out to. I've always been the self-appointed "Talk To The Kid No One Else is Talking To" person - they usually have the best stories and know the most about Lord of the Rings. That's how I first met Adam. He was the youngest on his first youth trip and kept mainly to himself. I started talking to him and he started telling me all about hitting his neighbor's cats with his slingshot and I thought "this kid is weird and I kind of like it". So I kept talking to him every single time I saw him. A couple years later I led a middle school small group. Adam was in my group and I shot God a thumbs up in recognition of the task to get him talking and get him invested. I have been blessed with the immense pleasure of watching him grow from a weird little kid into a weird and incredible leader in our youth group ever since, and now he's Airman First Class on his way to Italy and I am full to brimming.

I blew off a few well-wishers, shimmied around the baptismal font, and got caught in the altar flowers in my beeline towards my boy Sunday morning and I only wish with all my heart that I had a photo of being airborne in his humongous hug. Adam, I am unbelievably proud of the man that you are. I cannot wait to see the good works planned for you. Know that thoughts and prayers go with you every step of the way!