I get to do one of my favorite things today.
Stand on the Girls of Grace stage.
For those who don’t know, Girls of Grace is a one day conference for teen girls and their moms/leaders. There are bands and worship and speaking and jokes and it’s awesome. We travel around the country speaking to thousands and thousands of girls.
It’s awesome.
Last year, when I first started speaking at this event, I was so nervous every weekend and focused on making my co-workers and bosses happy and making Jesus happy and making teen girls happy and making mamas happy that I barely slowed down to watch the day.
But towards the end of the season, I settled into my skin and my spot and got a better chance to see what God was doing throughout the day.
And this year? This year I’m just drinking it in.
Every weekend I get the honor of standing in front of hundreds and hundreds of teen girls and their moms/leaders and share about Jesus.
I get to proclaim things over them, speak love to them, and challenge them to use their words and their lives differently.
[This picture thanks to my sweet friend and co-worker at Girls of Grace Emily Freeman.]
I struggle every weekend though on that stage, because I just plain feel like there IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO SAY IT ALL.
You know how I feel about teen girls. They are my people. And the fact that I’m getting to speak to them, well, it may be the only time. So I just want to KEEP GOING but the timer says DO NOT KEEP GOING.
Because I want them to know everything so that they can be healthy and loving and kind and crazy about Jesus.
Last year my topic was the power of words. So, you see how that turned out.
This year? I speak on leadership and what it means for girls to lead without fear.
And while I want to keep on talking once I’m on that stage, I’m also terrified.
Women in leadership is a terrain that is changing every day and yet, there is still a great divide between what women are capable to do and what they are allowed to do- and dare I say it is a wider gap in the church than out. So then I’m on a stage telling these young women to LEAD WITHOUT FEAR when their culture may be telling them that isn’t an option.
It feels weighty, friends. Very weighty and very important.
And a total honor to be trusted to bring this word in churches around the country.
. . . . .
Teens seem scary to so many adults. I get that. Bad stuff goes on A LOT in the world of a teenager and it is hard to imagine what it would be like to be fourteen right now with the internet and television shows and leadership opportunities- all things that we as adults didn’t have available.
But they aren’t scary. THEY NEED US. And we get to speak into their lives! It is such an honor!!
We have the benefit of teaching them how to speak love and speak life and lead without fear.
And today, at 1:05pm EST, with God’s grace and help, I’ll do just that.
. . . . .
SPEAK LOVE NOW
Teenagers need to be encouraged- they need to be reminded that they are not alone and they have not be abandoned to figure out this season of their life on their own. Would you take a minute today and encourage a middle schooler, high schooler, or college student? Just a kind word goes such a long way.
Also, check and see if Girls of Grace is coming your way! I’d love for you to join us.
This is Day 19 of 31 Ways to Speak Love. You can click here to see a list of all the posts in the series.