Remember...

 

Remember now Thy Creator in the days of thy youth…

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Yesterday I traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia with my youth choir (12 absolutely charming girls).  They were presenting a musical based on the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.  We actually only had 10 girls for this trip – one member had a longstanding dance competition, and another was ill.

Two of the girls had attended prom on Saturday evening, and one had not arrived home until 4:30am Sunday morning.  When her father pulled up to the church at the designated 7:00am departure time, he assisted his daughter out of the car and then shoveled her into a seat in the back of my vehicle, where she promptly fell asleep. 

The church in Lynchburg is a vibrant but aging congregation.  I was concerned that my overall tired (and partly exhausted) group of girls might not rise to the challenge.  I should have known better.  When it came to preaching the gospel of the love and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father, the kids put it in fifth gear and gave the best presentation of the season.  The resiliency of youth is a wonder to behold, and is why King Solomon urged them to live for their Creator in the days of their youth, before the world of adulthood and stress overwhelm them.  It was wonderful to watch that process at work yesterday as the girls sang out their praise to their Redeemer.