"Truth Is..."

As a youth pastor and father, I am knee deep in the phenomenon of Facebook.  In many ways, it has become one of the most effective tools in my ministry to kids. If you pay attention, you can identify the pains and heartaches these young men and women are struggling with.  You can offer encouragement and a gentle reminder that you are available if needed. Recently, I have noticed an abundance of " Truth Is" comments on kids Facebook walls.  If you are unfamiliar with this, let me explain.  You post "Truth Is" on your wall and all your friends respond by "liking". You then respond to them with a comment such as " truth is you're really pretty" or " truth is you're really funny and I wish we spent more time together" ( Both actual comments I just pulled from a random wall).  I asked my 14 year old daughter if it were smart to ask other kids to post what they thought of you, if that weren't asking for heartache.  She told me " No one says anything mean, you only say nice things".  

And the tumblers fell into place within my mind. These children have tapped into something that resonates deep within us all.  We all struggle with feeling ugly, stupid, friendless and isolated.  And so, feeling tired and alone, we long to hear something positive and affirming.  We want to hear that we are attractive, talented and that people care. These kids cry out into cyberspace " Encourage me"!...And if we were honest, all of us have, at one time or another, uttered the same desperate plea. 

A parent in a waiting room cries out.  A spouse left alone with the tattered remains of unkept promises sinks to their knees.  A father driving home from work pulls over, puts his head in his hands and wonders how he can break the news to his wife that he is now unemployed.  A teenage boy is called downstairs to where his parents are sitting and listens, stunned as they inform him of their decision to divorce, but not to worry, it wasn't his fault. 

 All of us have felt the heavy burden that such moments bring, the questions that arise, the uncertain futures. And in those moments we look inward and see our weakness, we look outward and see a harsh and unforgiving world and then, casting our eyes downward, we feel trapped by our circumstances.  BUT...If we look upward, we see...

TRUTH IS-  He longs to comfort us in our pain.  He cares deeply about the intimate details of our lives. He doesn't simply stand and wait, He seeks us like the shepherd looking for his lost sheep, the woman looking for a lost coin.  He is our refuge, our rock, and our strength! He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.....He loved us so much that he went further than any shepherd looking for a sheep or woman looking for a coin.  He left Heaven, came to Earth and lived with us so that we would never have to live without Him...

Or, in the words I see everyday on Facebook as children look for some comfort.."Truth is you're really beautiful and I wish we spent more time together"- Your Father