Even Youths Get Tired

Isaiah 40:30–31a

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…”

Well, as many of you know, I just returned from the National Youth Gathering.   I had the privilege of spending 7 days with 21 students and 8 adults from our church in Sugar Land, as we joined in worship, praise and service with 21,000 from around the world.  Today people have been asking me how I am doing.  My answer is basically the same – good but tired.  It was a great week that didn’t involve a lot of sleep – going to bed after midnight each night and up (for me at least) by about 6am each morning (earlier some mornings).  All the volunteers, the planners, our two DCE’s – Richard and Kelly – are amazing. I don’t know where they get all the energy.  I am exhausted.

I would like to let you in on a little secret. Our students are all exhausted too.  Yesterday morning, when we met down in the hotel lobby at 5am to go to the airport – they were having a hard time waking up.  When I walked down the aisle on the plane, so many of them were asleep in those uncomfortable chairs.  In the car on the ride back to Fishers from the airport – the three young men in the back fell asleep almost immediately. They were tired.  I imagine they still are today, but that they will recover quicker than I will.  There is truth to these words from Isaiah 40 – “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted.”

Of course, there are other kinds of weariness, not just physical weariness.  While at the Gathering I spent some time reflecting on what had and had not changed since the last time I attended one of these 15 years ago.   You can find my musings posted on my Facebook page, for what they are worth.   Among those musings was a list of many of the struggle’s students face.  In many ways – they are the same and they are different from 15 years ago… from my days as a teen – depression, gender issues, identity issues, sexual challenges, discouragement, bullying (in person and on the internet), self-harm, suicide, addiction, family struggles, self-image…  The list goes on and on.  These things, more than physical weariness, is what Isaiah was referring to – the weariness that come from living in a sin-sick world.  Yes, even young people experience such weariness…. just as we older adults also do.

That’s why I wish every adult in our church had a chance to go to one of our youth gatherings.  It would give them a chance to get to know our students – their joys, their sorrows, their weariness and their energy.  I love being with students as they worship.  Why?  Because I am a sinner too.  As an adult I, like many of you experience that weariness of sin in my life.  You and I need the same message of the Gospel that they do.

 

This week there really was a great message of hope for them and for us.  Based on Psalm 46 the central message was that we have a REAL.PRESENT.GOD!  We have a God who in Christ is very real.  We have one who has Himself walked in our weariness all the way to the cross, carried their burdens and ours to His own death and then triumphed in His resurrection.  This Real God is Really present with us. He speaks through His word. He reaches out to us through the love of our fellow believers. (I think that is what I love most about being with youth on these trips – They live out what it means to be church.  On any number of occasions they took care of one another, loved once another, forgave one another). He is really present in the Lord’s Supper – giving His body and blood with the bread and wine to strengthen us.

It was cool to watch at Bible Study in the morning and in the mass events at night – how the presence of the Lord in word and song, brought new energy to youth and adults who just moments before were so exhausted.  It brought to life for me and in me the promise of God held out here in Isaiah 40.  Yes at times we all feel worn out and weary with life, but then “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength…”  After all, ours is the savior who invites us, “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”  Amen!