"Give me advice..."

“He is discouraged, give him some advice,”  said Laura, pointing to her friend Robyn.  We were in my kitchen, cleaning up after a youth meeting and birthday celebration.  There was a big soccer match the next day and the girls had gone to practice up.  Only Laura, Robyn, and on other girl had stayed behind to help me with the dishes (not only help, they wouldn’t let me even touch them).

They explained to me that Robyn, a new believer, would start coming to church, and then get discouraged when someone criticized him.  I saw a sensitive young man who was hungry for God, but couldn’t figure out why this Christian thing wasn’t easier.  Why people weren’t more loving.  They were difficult questions.

We spent nearly an hour talking, mainly about how he could seek God in spite of the failings of those around him.  I could tell that it was hitting home.  Laura opened up as well, sharing that she knew she was at a turning point in her life, a critical time when her decisions were important.

Eventually, the dishes were done, we shared a little something to eat, and they remembered about the soccer practice they should be at.  They got together their things and Robyn was heading out the door, when he turned around and addressed me.

“Thank you for your advice.”  His expressive eyes seemed to be saying, “Thanks for caring.”

During the week, he and a couple of others have come twice to watch Christian movies. Yesterday they sat, enthralled with the Jesus movie.  I could see hunger in them, hunger for the words they were hearing.  The other thing I saw was that they kept coming back to a place where they felt they were valued, wanted, welcomed. 

Even as their visits interrupted other events, I remembered that, offered them coffee and a snack, and sat down to chat.  Because everyone needs to feel that someone cares.