One Life

This Saturday I learnt a lesson: it is not impossible to be learn something from a 12 year old boy.

I was hanging out with some guys in Portsmouth – five of them in a little church in Southsea – and they were far from my expectations, which were, to be honest, based on the behaviour of most 11 and 12-year-old lads.

Here was my favourite comment: and it speaks for itself. We were talking about mission, and they were getting totally excited about vision and actually doing something. They were thinking what might be in a vision statement, and one lad, who hadn’t said anything yet, pipes up:

‘There should be something in there that says that we’re proud of God.’

Oh, what a comment! These guys are talking about what they could do to engage their friends, to build community, and how they could show that they are proud of their God. And I have to say, the eyes got a little misty!

But that’s it, isn’t it? Deep down, we should be proud of our God. Up front, we should be proud of our God. Through and through, we should proud of our incredible, remarkable and surprising God.

And that is what a 12 year old lad taught me.