Hope in the Chaos

I have a requirement for my Confirmation students. Each semester they have to schedule what we call a "pastor visit" in which they get together with me and I take them for coffee or anything else they would like to do and we talk. One of my students this year is an extreme intravert, so we have scheduled more of these visits because she doesn't often talk in class and I need to be able to see where she is at. We met yesterday and it was a break-through type conversation. But one thing didn't sit well with me. This teen who we will call "Adam" has had a hard time believing in God. Just last week, April's brother "Adam" was hit by a drunk driver. He has hurt with minor physical scars, but major emotional scars. I took a risk in my conversation with April about God and I said, "Let's think the horrific and imagine Adam was killed in that accident. Where would you go for comfort and understanding in that?" And April was able to say, "well, then I would go to God - because then I would need God - but right now, I don't really have any need for God." It was a breakthrough because it was the first time April has been able to identify a God and a relationship with a God. I was thrilled. But sad.
I wrestled with it all night, not sleeping well as I pondered how to help April see that God is more than just something to comfort us in times of extreme trauma. I still don't have answers and I'm anxious for this weekends confirmation retreat as I know I will want to get time with her and pray I can find a way to help her see God as an everyday relationship. I was really down when I woke up this morning.
But then at 7am I get a text message from one of our older youth, someone who was done with the confirmation program 2 years ago. She was asking if I had time to talk. So I called her up and we talked before she went to school. She was having a problem with some boys and school and she was seriosuly seeking direction. I was so proud of her maturity, she didn't want to create drama with the situation, she just wanted to walk away from it. So we talked and I suggested what I thought needed to be done and she agreed and was going to head to the principal when we were done talking - but she also said she wanted to stop by church after school and talk some more. It was interesting how I was feeling chaos in the April situation, a storm in my mind about how to help her - and then hope - a student who actually sought out her pastor, her christian connection, to solve a problem in her life. Even in chaos, there is hope. We cannot loose sight of that. Ever.