UPSIDEDOWN

Last night was our first Youth service in a few weeks because of the holidays. We opened it with a series called "How to Annoy Your Parents". It basically taught the kids that being upside down from the world (love when it tells you to hate, give when it tells you to take, obey when it tells you to rebel) that you will turn your family upside down. that upside down is where God is. He opened it up with even the first family in humanity was totally disfunctional (yeah, let's kill my brother over jealousy, soap opera HELLO)
After service, I had a girl come up to me, let's call her Molly. On Sunday, she had brought a friend from school who she knew going into it was Athiest. The girl hated it, said it was boring....that was the Molly's only chance. Her mother said she was no longer able to bring "The Atheist". Molly was upset and looking for me to tell her to bring her anyways....then the message sank in...
"Honor your mother and father and God will bless it". great he will bless it we all think...how?
I told her that maybe if she confronts her mom first by saying, "I won't hang out with her, i won't ask you if i can take her to church anymore, but do you think you could pray for her with me?" Molly's whole face changed....a simple solution, but at the time felt so hard to get out of my mouth. I wanted to tell her to go for it, beg your mom, make her mom understand.... even get mad at her parents, and wanting to express to Molly that her mom should never have said that! but the simple message.
Kids think that in order to be good, they can't be passionate, they can't express their love for God. Molly's desire to bring her friend to church may not happen, but God will bless it as He teaches her to pray, and to look at her mother with respect.
Pray with me for her mother....that she's able to take Molly's request of praying for her friend. Pray also that Molly uses this time to learn to pray and that God shows her a miracle. Athieism is not as scary as we think. They aren't just people who "worship the devil". This little girl just had a closed heart for whatever reason. Haven't we all been there?
I want to challenge everyone to do just one thing today that's upside down from what you would normally do and just watch how God honors it....
Not only will Molly be honoring her parents request