Reading Log #5

I've decided to continue reading books that help me grow in my faith. It is hard to follow Crazy Love, since it was such motivational and inspiring book. This week I began to read a book called When Teens Pray by Cheri Fuller and Ron Luce.  It originally attracted me because it was about Christianity, and teenagers. A lot of books focus on adults or younger kids, but this book put the spot light on teenagers. To me, teens are the ones that need the most motivation and encouragement to get through high school years. So much change happens as a teenager and I see it all the time, some go down the wrong path, some go down the right path, then there are those in the middle who haven't decided which path they belong in. To quickly summarize, this book is filled with true  stories written by teens from all around the world, who share their stories of faith and how God worked in their life. I wasn't far into the book when one story really stuck out to me. A teen named Adam, got caught up into drugs and alcohol and began to believe that the only way he would make it in the world was to join  a gang. So he did. He became a drug dealer, he had some visits to jail, he did it all. After being adopted into a family that attended church every Sunday, he began to wonder if there was really more to life. He slowly began to regress in his bad behaviors to become one of God's disciples. He felt God in his life and he knew he had to change. So he did. He is now a pastor and in his words he says,

"May God reveal to you the great and awesome plan he has for your life. May you and all your generation climb from the rubble of sin and ascend to your destiny. May you wash your hands and your hearts in the blood of the Lamb, allowing Him to cleanse both your actions and the motives of your heart. May every man idol in your life turn to dust. May you never again be captivated by MTV stars, by the drug dealer on the corner, by the music industry, or by this world's standards. May you, like the psalmist David, cry out to God, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you" (Psalm 73:25). And above all, may you answer the great and glorious call to pray" (22).

I think Adam sums up being a teenager perfectly in his words. We all sin, nobody is perfect, but it is pointless to live your life in accordance to the world's expectations. Hearing these words from someone who has literally climbed from the rubble of sin, is so much more meaningful and realistic. Who cares who you are now, it only matters who you aspire to be and who you end up being in the future. Adam should be an inspiration to everyone, whether Christian or not. Why not  drop to your knees and say a prayer? It's worth a shot.