Have you ever had to face a topic you’d rather avoid?

Last spring, I was invited to speak at an overnight high school camp in August. Ecclesiastes’ brutal honesty has long made it one of my favorite books of the Bible, and I planned to teach a series of lessons on it called “Start at the Finish.” As David Gibson writes in his book on Ecclesiastes titled Living Life Backward, “Only preparing to die will teach us how to live.”

One day after sending away the handouts to be copied and less than two weeks before camp started, I heard the painfully sad news: one of the returning campers, an 11th grade young man, had been killed in a tragic accident.

What was now the right thing to do – continue with Ecclesiastes or teach a different theme?

Emotions would likely be very raw for those who knew the young man; however, the message of Ecclesiastes could rarely be timelier, especially for teenagers. I chose to continue and then spent the camp week hoping it had been the right decision.

One young lady’s eyes often became teary during the lessons. “Julia” had known the young man for years, and the topic was especially difficult for her. At the campfire on Friday night when campers can share about their week, Julia spoke up.

Speaking slowly and thoughtfully, she said something like, “It was hard… but it was good.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Her words confirmed for me that they were indeed the right messages at the right time. Scripture speaks to all the circumstances of life, and it can give voice to our honest thoughts and feelings without “sugarcoating” the sometimes-harsh realities. I hoped the campers would leave feeling like God understands their struggles and knowing that it’s ok to be real, to say the hard things out loud, and to ask the tough questions.

That week and that moment at the campfire reminded me of the gravity and importance of what YOU make happen throughout the year through your support!

YOU help students like Julia encounter the timeless words of Scripture while they confront difficult topics and navigate difficult experiences.

YOU enable young people in schools and camps to receive the encouragement they need through relationships with people they know and trust.

YOU comfort those who are grieving, hurting, discouraged, lonely, doubting, angry, anxious, and addicted.

While my team members and I serve students on the front lines across the Northeast, it is YOUR donations that make it possible!

As you think about your own experiences when life or people forced you to confront hard topics, was it ultimately worth it? Hopefully the answer is yes, and when you support Coastlands financially, you ensure students like Julia can also look back and say, “It was hard… but it was good.”

Thank you for prayerfully considering your partnership with Coastlands so that together we can impact youth throughout the Northeast!

#GivingTuesday2021: Hope for Hurting Youth

By Purposeful Connections

#GivingTuesday2021: Hope for Hurting Youth

Your support impacts students through the Northeast!