See You At The Pole 2011

This morning, we got up at 5:30am to get ready and be at our local high school for the annual "See you at the pole".  It is a student led gathering that is done across the country where students meet at a certain time before school at their flag pole and pray for the events that are going on in their school, state, country, etc.

We had a turnout of 10 from our youth group and about 25 students in all, who came out to prayer before school started.  It was a neat experience to see familiar faces, but even more so the unfamiliar faces!  I will admit that I partly "expected" our kids to be there because we do our best to stress to them not just "talk the talk, but walk the walk" (or as Claude likes to put it: "Are you smokin' what you're sellin'?"!).  It was really great to know that there are other students in South Central High School that are Christian and will pray for their school.  They come out there early and are willing to stand around the flagpole, bow their heads, and pray...while other kids are being dropped off, walking by, wondering what is going on.  THAT TAKES ALOT OF COURAGE!  Others were watching these kids and will know as they see them in the halls that they were praying to God!  It kinda provides a "step up your game" atmosphere for these kids.

I came home and a song kept running in my mind.  It's an old song by an old Christian "Rock" group named Petra.  The song is called "This Is My Prayer".  One of the verses (the one that was stuck playing in my head) says:
Let me be the evidence of what Your Grace can do
To a generation struggling to find themselves in You.
May they come to know the Love of God, may their eyes be made to see;
Give me the opportunity to share the truth that sets them free...



The prayers of these kids are that they are struggling.  They know God is there but for one reason or another He's not real to them.  They don't feel His love and His power in their lives.  They are dealing with so much CRAP everyday at school and for some it doesn't end when they go home.  We, as adults, think that their struggles are the same as it was when we were there...NO WAY!  Yes, it may have some of the same issues, but there is so much more pressure and it's so much easier/accepted to do things that we know are wrong.

So, this is my prayer for these kids.  I ask God to become larger than Life in their everyday lives.  I pray that He boldly shows Himself to them and gives them the courage and guts to stand up even when they have to stand alone.  I pray that God gives them an abundance of blessing for doing what is right and that He brings alongside these kids people who will hold them up and encourage them!  Friends, leaders, parents that will understand how BIG their struggles are and be the shoulder they can lean on when they need to rest!

Here's that song that's been in my head!  Ignore the hair, the clothes, the "oldness" of the video and really listen to the words!  They are truly powerful!