Alright, I am back to blogging. I have spent the last couple of weeks getting ready for our Summer Camping trip. And I haven't spent that much time thinking about a blog.
I was able to spend last week with a bunch of students on our camping trip. Let me tell you, this had to be the most incredible trip yet!!!
I asked the students what the highlight of their trip was. They told me everything from the canoeing to hiking to the mud pit, the challange. All kinds of things that they took back from this trip.
But as I thought, what did I take back. Is a group of AMAZING students! Before this trip I talked to alot of students and parents who believed that they could not or would not be willing or able to participate in the events that we had planned for our trip.
I heard it all week. "I can't do that". And everytime I would hear that statement, I kept challanging and motivating them to remember, that "you can do ALL things through Jesus".
Let me say this. EVERY STUDENT DID EVERY EVENT WE HAD! GO GOD!!!!!
I think that the reason that students are so quick to give up is that fact that we have alot of adults always telling them, "you can't do that".
Let me tell you, there is nothing that makes me more angry than and adult telling a student or a child, they are not good enough!
I closed our trip out yesterday, by telling the students to never again let anyone tell them that they are not smart enough or physical enough or emotionally ready to do anything. I won't stand for that!
These students are amazing people and the smiles on their faces for some, I have never seen.
So what did I take from this trip?
I took back a group if students, that if people would will get behind them insted of pushing them away, they could change a community!
So let's stop telling them, "you can't do that" and start telling them they can do anything with Jesus!
It was a privilage and an honor to spend a week with some awesome students. I can't wait to do it again!
Hey Boby, great to hear how wonderful it went, just as good as hearing how large the group going this year had grown. Maybe your statement, "I can't do that". And everytime I would hear that statement, I kept challanging and motivating them to remember, that "you can do ALL things through Jesus", is something that may be needed / can be used for the mens trip also. Didn't want to say retreat because I know Mike's calling it something else but I can't remember what right now. Thanks for letting us know about the youths trip.
By Dave - 6/30/2008 8:50 PM
I cannot speak for all parents, but I can speak for me. I KNOW my children can do anything they set their minds to and we encourage new experiances and challenges all the time. Yes, I am one of your parents that said the child going would not be able to do something, but that is because this child is stubborn and often refuses to do anything. I was pleasantly surprised and excited to hear that this child of mine did in fact step up to the challenges and had a wonderful time doing it. I disagree in that I do not believe parents purposely tell their children "they cannot do" something. In my case, and I cannot be alone in this, it is the child telling me they do not WANT to do something and I realize now that I had always accepted the child(ren)s not wanting as they CANT. I've never pushed or challenged it before. This was a new learning experiance for some parents as well as the youth. Also telling a child "you cant" and telling a child "your not good enough" are way different things. I cannot imagine any parents that I have ever known ever telling their child(ren) they are not good enough. That would make me furiously angry too. I just wanted to take this moment to clarify that not all adults tell the kids they cant or they are not good enough, often its the kids telling the adults they dont want to or that they cant and the adults accept it. Go easy on some of us parents, life is a never ending learning experiance, we all have challenges and kids certainly do not come with specific instructions.
By A Parent - 7/2/2008 1:16 AM
Good response "By a Parent". With my girls much older now, you hit the nail on the head.
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May, 2008
Comments (3) for "You Can't Do That!"