Farewell Onramp

June 5th:

Yep, you read that correctly. "Farewell Onramp". But what that really means, is tonight I attended my very last high school youth group night. The Highway Community's youth group "Onramp" (clever, right?) has been my church home base for the last four years, and I'm extremely sad to be leaving it!

Tonight was "Senior Night" where all the seniors in the group shared their high school experiences and advice to the underclassmen. Usually youth group ends ~8:45, but tonight it ended at 9:45! People had so many good bits of knowledge to share, some of which I captured in my journal and will now share with you!

1. “Life isn't how you survive the thunderstorm, but how you dance in the rain.” -Adam Young (shared by W)
2. Despite how much you try to avoid them, there will be MANY MANY unavoidable "out of your comfort zone" situations you will be in - take them as they come and learn from your experiences! (C)
3. You WILL disappoint people in life. Not because you're a bad person, but because people are humans, flawed, and are/never will be perfect. Don't live your life trying to avoid disappointing people because a. it's impossible and b. you'll only end up wasting your time and missing out on so much life! (D)
4. People say "Quitters never win," but NO! QUITTERS JUST WIN AT DIFFERENT THINGS!!! Also, when I am having a deep conversation, I always pray and hope "God, let everything *I* said be forgotten and let this person only remember/see/hear YOU!(E)
5. Job 1:21b: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (E)
6. DO NOT feel guilty if you cannot "hear" God directly. There is nothing wrong with you, He is just speaking to you in a different way. Community is the most powerful way that God shows His love sometimes. It's so easy to go through life thinking you're the star and everyone else is the supporting cast, but you have to remember that everyone is just like you, and has their own life too. It's not all about you. (M)
7. God places people in your life when you need them. If you think there's nobody like that in your life... Well, you're wrong. (T)
8. We don't often think about people having lives just as real as our own. Christ didn't die just for you! He died for everyone. Even that one person you simply dislike. He would have died for them, even if it was just them. (P)
9. When you can't see God himself, you can see His gifts. (D)

My bit of advice/sharing went a bit like this:

This year I had the joy of stepping out of my comfort zone and friend group and managed to reach out to make a few new friends. These new individuals have enriched my life to an umpteenth degree. I only regret that I didn't step out of my comfort zone/friend group bubble to find them sooner!

I also would like to point out that while I made many new friends, I also failed to mend old ones because of my own fear of rejection. I missed out on more than one beloved relationship this year because Satan shoved pride and fear and anger between me and my friends. I wish I has not been afraid to make myself vulnerable and had been more open to talking about how much I wanted to renew my friendships. (luckily God allowed me to mend these relationships eventually, but it took a good year to do it!)

So my two main bits of advice to the younger generations (and those going to college and/or whomever) are these:

1. Step out of your comfort zone and go talk to those people you've always wanted to. They could become some of your best friends. Don't think that you're "betraying" your current friends, but instead that you have enough room in your heart for a few more people to love!
2. Don't be afraid to do whatever it takes to fix things between you and a friend. You could be seriously missing out by not talking to them and neither of you are benefitting from your shared resentment! The only person getting jollies out of that is the Devil, and we should be glorifying God, not His fallen angel!

~

So, whether you are in middle school, high school, college, or are already out in the world, take these few bits of knowledge into your heart and dwell on their truths! I know I learned a lot the past year, and I'm sure to learn more in the years to come!

I will miss you, Onramp, but I know the students I am leaving behind are ready and willing to step up and continue passing on life's lessons! Thank you Onramp leaders, you made Highway a wonderful, welcoming community where I always felt safe and loved. Keep it classy.