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George's Story
St. Petersburg | By Timothy
George's Story
Earning the right to be heard often means hours, days, and late nights spent living with a teen, sharing in their joys and bearing their burdens. But, as scripture says, God’s plan is not a man’s plan, and oftentimes, things don’t work out the way we expect.
I met Egor at one of our camps, and we immediately hit it off. We shared many common interests and continued our friendship after the camp. But even though we spent countless nights playing video games, watching movies, and having conversations, Egor kept distancing himself. He avoided deeper topics, and I could never get past the tough front and get to know his heart.
Egor returned to camp the following winter and brought a close friend, George. As I watched them together, I noticed no change in Egor. He and George were the same guys they were around their street buddies – aggressive, rude, disrespectful.
Emotionally drained, I lowered myself to the floor. “Why did you have me spend this whole year with Egor when he just doesn’t seem to be able to hear anything?” I asked the Lord. I understood that it could take a long time to see the results of my efforts, but I still feel grieved and disappointed. After all this time, Egor didn’t trust me, and it hurt.
In the summer, both guys wanted to go to camp again. My team didn’t receive this news with much enthusiasm. The guys were troublemakers and difficult for both leaders and campers to deal with. Plus, Egor couldn’t afford the camp fee, and George wouldn’t have come without him, But the Holy Spirit kept nudging me to go one extra step. So I found the money, got my team on board, and brought the guys to camp.
Within the first two days, Egor and George managed to stir trouble. They were so rude and obnoxious that the other campers refused to be around them. In the evening, George came up to me. “Do you think the other kids hate me?” he asked. “Yesterday, they liked me, but today they seem to hate me.” As he was saying this, he turned away. Tears streamed down his face.
In the next few minutes, George shared with me how he constantly felt like a victim of peer pressure and how tired he was of trying to earn the approval of his friends at home. He told me he wanted to change, that he no longer wanted to hurt others, although he often felt like he couldn’t control what was coming out of his mouth.
George spent the rest of the camp with other kids and away from Egor. He made many new friends and made a hard effort not to go back to his hurtful behaviors.
When I asked God, ‘Why?’ while sitting on the floor, he answered me. It may not have been exactly what I had expected, but it was more than enough. George returned home hungry to learn more about God and read the Bible with me. We regularly keep in touch, and I get to pray for him and Egor, and their journeys.
As a Young Life leader who accepted Jesus at camp, I know how priceless this experience can be for a teen. God changes lives at camp, and we are honored to be the tools in his hands.
Please pray for all the kids and leaders heading to camp this winter season.
"Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21
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