FIRST GLIMPSE

You Never Know

He sauntered into the youth room like he owned the place, wearing saggy cargo shorts and a Limp Bizkit t-shirt with old sandals, and carrying an enormous chip on his shoulder. Unruly blonde hair framed a freckled face expressing a mixture of suspicion, arrogance, and mischief…typical teen angst.

“Uh-oh,” I thought to myself. “Here comes trouble.”

I had no idea. As it turned out, Matt was trouble—always cutting up, making inappropriate comments, irritating the older kids, and just “raising Cain” in general.

But Matt was also bright, a quick learner in spite of his devious behavior. His good humor, quick comebacks, and wry grin made it hard not to like him. An infectious chuckle at the worst possible times always drew a laugh, and he was soon the “mascot” of the youth group, the younger brother everyone loved (but wanted to strangle at the same time).

He just didn’t know when to stop. During a youth group camping trip, I returned from the bathhouse to find Matt duck-taped to a large tree several feet above the ground, hollering at the top of his lungs. The rest of the group was nowhere to be found. When questioned, they simply shrugged. “We just couldn’t take his mouth anymore. We needed a break.”

I’m glad his parents didn’t sue.

As much as I liked Matt, it was obvious he was headed for trouble. Thankfully, God intervened. Following a week of summer camp, he called to let me know things had changed. “Can you recommend any good Christian music,” he asked. “I just burned all of my CDs in a bonfire, and I need something to listen to.” I almost dropped the phone.

It was just the beginning. I watched God slowly work in Matt while I answered hundreds of his questions, offered quiet words of advice, and sometimes shook my head in frustration when old, stubborn habits got in his way. I watched as God gradually chipped away the rough edges to reveal a masterpiece beneath.

The shaping continues.

Next month, Matt and his lovely bride will stand before me and exchange vows. A few weeks later, he will graduate from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. While unsure of his plans (beyond passing the bar), Matt dreams of returning to Free Will Baptist Bible College to anchor a pre-law program. His writing has already been published and he is co-founder of the Helwys Society Forum (www.helwyssocietyforum.com), a widely read website featuring serious essays on Christian theology, spirituality, ministry, and culture. More important to me, he teaches a class of junior high kids. Somehow, it’s hard to imagine.

Matt has come far since those troubled teen years, and I can hardly wait to see where God will lead him next. You never know. But God does.

Eric K. Thomsen is managing editor of ONE Magazine. Contact him at editor@nafwb.org.