One on One (Part II)

I had an amazing experience in club a couple of weeks ago. A former club kid Adan gave his testimony. It really took me back. Adan is one of the two kids who have influenced and impacted my life the most and that is a huge piece of what contact work is. It is “withness” as well as a witness. It is the vulnerability of Christ who chose the twelve to “be with Him” as it says in Mark 3:14. The Son of God came and allowed Himself to be influenced and ministered to. He opened His heart and allowed them to experience their companionship and comfort.

I met Adan when he was 10 and in Middle School. He is now 29. For 19 years he has been one of my best friends. He is the wildest kid I have ever met, and at first the most obnoxious. A fact I was humbled by when Jane Thomsen, my YL leader, reminded me of how often she wanted to smack me in club. God really has a sense of humor, doesn’t He?

We spent thousands of hours and experiences together over the years. We have fought, cried, laughed so hard we could not breathe, and we have encouraged one another. We have been in each other’s lives through thick and thin. I was with him at Woodleaf when the Holy Spirit gave birth to him in the kingdom of the family of God. Today he loves Jesus, and he is one of the two most passionate people I know. His speed is always at 100% and the accelerator is always pressed to the floor of his life.

We read Philippians together last week and he said that is a great letter because Paul has confidence no matter what his circumstances. We talked and prayed together to live with this type of confidence. Adan has moved from a kid who basically told me to “drop dead” in our first conversation, to a young man encouraging me to have confidence in Jesus.

As I watched Adan give a club talk, I could see the face of a young 17-year-old girl named Carmella listen to every word that Adan said. Carmella is the female equivalent of Adan when he was in high school. She is wild, broken, combative and angry, yet Adan was able to reach her.

Contact work once begun, never stops. It is an action for life. Adan is one of my best friends. We are challenging each other, praying together and anticipating God’s adventure for us in the future. Do you have an Adan? Just keep walking together.

Nick