There are certain students at my school who make me feel uncomfortable.  It isn’t because of anything bad they’ve done.  They aren’t gang members with knives stashed in their backpacks.  And they don’t wear revealing clothes that make me feel like I can’t look at them.  It’s actually their faith that rattles me, a faith so bold that it makes me want to run for cover.

I talked about one of those students in front of a room full of teachers one night, a talk that’s recorded if you’re interested in hearing it.  But what I’m finding is students with bold faith are becoming more the norm instead of the exception, and they’re opening the windows of our stuffy world to let in the fresh winds of the Spirit of God.

One day, a senior named Danica told me she wanted to have a huge outreach for all the students at our school.  She wanted to host the event in the gym, invite a pastor to talk, and pass out pizza.

Yikes!  I thought.  What about the hordes of complaining parents?

I thought about the possibility of the principal shutting it down, and then, even if the principal did allow it, I thought about the disappointment that would come if nobody showed up.

See what I mean?  I was running for cover.

But Danica had faith.  Instead of looking at roadblocks, she looked at God. We sat in the administrator’s office, and when she asked if she could host the event, I held my breath.

And the administrator?  He just smiled and said, “Sounds great.  Let’s do it.”

The day came for the event, and I stood among the mingling students carrying new Bibles and pizza in their hands.  By the time they were all served and the local youth pastor walked up to the microphone, there were over two hundred students sitting in the bleachers.

My mouth hung open.  In my thirty years of teaching, I hadn’t seen anything like it.

The pastor spoke about our brokenness and the many ways people try to make the pain of that brokenness go away.

And then he talked about Jesus.

“He really loves you,” he said, “and the cross proves it.”

I was sitting next to a couple of students, wondering what they were thinking.  I expected they’d be having side conversations or scrolling on their phones, but none of that was happening.

They were listening!

After a few minutes, the pastor asked us to close our eyes.

“If you’re a person who’s never invited Jesus into your life,” he said, “and you’d like to do that now, pray this prayer with me.”

The gym got completely quiet.

“Jesus, I believe I’m a mess,” he prayed, “but I also believe you died on the cross to pay the debt I owe, giving me a chance to live with you.  Please forgive me for my sin and come into my life.”

When he finished, everyone opened their eyes, and what he said next shocked me.

“If you prayed with me just now,” he said, “Would you please stand?”

What??!  I thought as I scanned the crowd.  What could be more terrifying for a teenager than standing in front of peers right now?

The youth pastor waited.

And then, as everyone looked around to see if anyone would stand, someone did.

There in this sea of people, like a single ship defying the whitecapped waves of anxiety, one student stood.  And I knew him!

It was Landen!

The pastor acknowledged him, and everyone cheered.

Some were celebrating the decision he’d made, but I think most of the students were just in awe that he did it.

Even if people in the crowd thought he was wrong, they couldn’t discount his courage.  He clearly believed in something so strongly that he had the guts to stand and prove it.

As soon as the pastor was done, I scooted over to Landen.  He was one of my students, so I had to say something.

“Oh my gosh, Landen!” I shouted, patting him on the back.  “That was incredible!  This is by far the most important decision you’ll ever make!”

“Thank you, Mr. Ahnfeldt,” he said with a smile.

I stepped carefully back down the bleachers, leaving him to talk with his friends.

That’s when I found Stacy.

She’s a former counselor and one of my closest friends at school.  Even though she’s retired, she asked if she could help with the event, which is typical.  She’s always finding ways to love students, whether that means praying for them or showing up when they need her most.

We watched the kids filter out and made comments about Landon’s courage.  Then she pointed up.

“Do you know that guy up there?” she asked.

I looked where she was pointing.

“That’s David!” I shouted.

He was sitting by himself in the top corner of the bleachers, flipping through the pages of his new Bible.

I climbed back up the bleachers next to him.

“Whatch ya doin’?”  I whispered.

“Hey, Mr. Ahnfeldt,” he said.  “I’m just looking for some verses.”

“Is all this talk about Jesus interesting to you?” I asked.

He nodded his head.

“Yeah, I’m kinda thinking about it still?”

I thought about the night he rode his bike to Young Life and nobody was there.  Everyone had gone ice skating, so we weren’t meeting at our regular place. But it moved me to think about him riding his bike there alone.

“If you have any questions about all this, I’d love to talk.”

David nodded.  He’s usually pretty funny, but as we sat there, his brow was furrowed, and he was looking down.  There were no jokes, only a quiet understanding that something was happening in that gym.

God is on the move.  He’s roaring like a mighty lion through the faith of students at my school every time they lead, pray, or trust Him.  Confronted with their faith and the roar of a very big God that echoes through their lives, yes, I feel uncomfortable, but that’s good.  I’m learning my discomfort is no reason to hide.  Instead, it’s a wake-up call to pay attention, and if I exercise a little faith, like I’ve seen in these students lately, I’ll get to experience the wonder of God at work more and more all around me.

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