Today is my favoritest day of the school year. And no, favoritest might not be a word, but I’m sticking with it! Today was See You at the Pole, a national (even international!) student-initiated and student-led movement that is now 21 years strong. Teenagers all across the world gathered around their school flagpole BEFORE school to PRAY for their school, friends, teachers, administration and country. Awesome! Students getting up early, going to school early and praying in direct sight of all their peers??? It’s powerful!
But it’s also intimidating. It definitely takes courage. Who’s going to see me? Will they laugh and mock? Many schools have their flagpole at the main entrance. Our kids are in direct sight of the ENTIRE school as they arrive for the day. I can be intimidated even as an adult!
For me, attending SYATP fills me with hope, faith, vision and excitement for the school year. There is nothing too difficult or too hard for our God. Nothing is impossible for Him, and that includes the turning around of our schools! As I stand in the circle around the flagpole with students from different denominations yet the same school, I am full of awe and excitement for what God can do thru them! It also makes me so proud of our young people that they showed up; that they care enough to come EARLY and PRAY. We had turnouts of 30, 15, 2, 8, and even just 1. But they showed up; they took a stand for Jesus this morning. Nothing makes me prouder! And I’m believing that God will show up BIG this year on their behalf!
You know what else I like about SYATP? It always challenges me. Can I be as brave as these young people? Will I take a stand for Jesus in front of my peers? Will I pray for my “mission field,” the environment God has placed me in? As I stood in that circle this morning at 7am, God nudged me to begin BLESSING the schools and administration. Enough complaining about what isn’t right or what we don’t like. It’s time to BLESS and proclaim God’s grace, wisdom and love over them.
If you’ve never been, I encourage you to go to SYATP next year. Put yourself in our young people’s shoes. Let God fill you with vision for our schools and our community. Let Him burden you for our administration and young people. Let God challenge, yet inspire you at the same time. It’s definitely worth the early wake up and intimidation factor. I hope to see YOU at the pole in 2012!