Certain students at my school make me feel uncomfortable. It isn’t because they’ve done something bad. They aren’t gang members with knives stashed in their backpacks. And they don’t wear inappropriate clothing. It’s actually their faith that rattles me, a faith so bold that it makes me want to run for cover.

I’m finding that students with bold faith are becoming the norm instead of the exception, and they’re opening the windows of our stuffy world to let in the fresh winds of the Spirit of God.

One day, a senior named Danica told me she wanted to organize a huge outreach for all the students in the school gym. She planned to pass out pizza and new Bibles and invite a pastor to talk.

Yikes! I thought. What if the principal shuts it down? Even worse, what if it is allowed but nobody shows up? 

See what I mean? I wanted to run for cover. 

But Danica had courageous faith. Instead of looking at roadblocks, she looked at God. 

Within a few days of this conversation, we sat in the principal’s office. And when she asked if she could host the event, I held my breath.

And the administrator? He just smiled and said, “Sounds great. Let’s do it.”

On the day of the event, I stood among the mingling students carrying pizza and their new Bibles. By the time they were all served and the local youth pastor walked up to the microphone, over two hundred students sat in the bleachers.

My mouth hung open. In my thirty years of teaching, I hadn’t seen anything like it.

The pastor spoke about our brokenness and the many ways people try to make the pain of that brokenness go away. And then he talked about Jesus.

“He really loves you,” he said, “and the cross proves it.”

I expected the students would be having side conversations or scrolling on their phones, but none of that was happening. Instead, they were listening!

After a few minutes, the pastor asked us to close our eyes.

“If you’re a person who’s never invited Jesus into your life,” he said, “and you’d like to do that now, pray this prayer with me.”

The gym got completely quiet.

“Jesus, I believe I’m a mess,” he prayed, “but I also believe you died on the cross to pay the debt I owe, giving me a chance to live with you. Please forgive me for my sin and come into my life.”

When he finished, everyone opened their eyes, and what he said next shocked me.

“If you prayed with me just now, would you please stand?”

What??! I thought as I scanned the crowd. What could be more terrifying for a teenager than standing in front of peers right now?

The youth pastor waited.

And then, as everyone looked around to see if anyone would stand, someone did.

There in this sea of teenagers, like a single ship defying the white-capped waves of anxiety, one student stood. And I knew him!

It was Landon!

The pastor acknowledged him, and everyone cheered.

Some were celebrating the decision he’d made, but I think most of the students were just in awe that he stood up. Even if people in the crowd thought he was wrong, they couldn’t discount his courage. He clearly believed in something so strongly that he had the guts to stand and prove it.

As soon as the pastor was done, I went over to Landon. 

“Oh my gosh, Landon!” I exclaimed, patting him on the back. “That was incredible! This is by far the most important decision you’ll ever make!”

“Thank you, Mr. Ahnfeldt,” he said with a smile.

I stepped carefully down the bleachers, leaving him to talk with his friends.

That’s when I found Stacy.

She’s a former counselor and one of my closest friends from school. Even though she’s retired, she asked if she could help with the event, which is typical. She’s always finding ways to love students, whether that means praying for them or showing up when they need her most.

We watched the kids filter out and commented about Landon’s courage. Then she pointed up.

“Do you know that guy up there?” she asked.

I looked where she was pointing.

“That’s David,” I replied.

He was sitting by himself in the top corner of the bleachers, flipping through the pages of his new Bible.

I climbed back up the bleachers and sat next to him.

“Whatcha doin’?” I whispered.

“Hey, Mr. Ahnfeldt,” he said. “I’m just looking for some verses.”

“Is all this talk about Jesus interesting to you?” I asked.

He nodded his head and replied, “Yeah, I’m kinda thinking about it still.”

I thought about the night he rode his bike to Young Life, and no one was there. Everyone had gone ice skating, so we weren’t meeting at our regular place. But it moved me to think about him riding his bike there alone.

“If you have any questions about all this, I’d love to talk.”

David nodded. He’s usually pretty funny, but as we sat there, he looked down, brows furrowed. There were no jokes, only a quiet understanding that something transformative was happening in that gym.

__________

God is on the move. He’s roaring like a mighty lion through the faith of students at my school. Confronted with their courage and the roar of a very big God that echoes through their lives, yes, I feel uncomfortable, but that’s good. I’m learning my discomfort is no reason to hide. Instead, it’s a wake-up call to pay attention. And, if I exercise a little faith, like I’ve seen in these students lately, I’ll get to experience the wonder of God at work more and more all around me.