At the end of March, Huntington North took 15 students to Gulf Shores, Alabama, for spring break. We had an awesome week of fun, laughter, and sun; most importantly, we had incredible conversations with student.
My favorite part was when our students participated in three stations with some self-reflection time. The day’s theme was, “Jesus Sees My Mess,” and we wanted to get students thinking about the mess in their lives. During one of our stations, students could anonymously write about something they keep secret from everyone else. Students wrote about body image, unhealthy relationships, abuse, and a lot of depression and anxiety.
We also had students think about things that were weighing them down in life; things keeping them from their full potential and maybe even holding them back. When finished, they dropped a rock in a bucket full of water, watched the water fall out, and saw how much those rocks take space in our lives. After the activity, we looked at what students wrote, and I was surprised to see students wrote down sex more than pornography on their rocks. It was heartbreaking.
During the last station, students could write down negative words they tell themselves or others have told them on a mirror. They were told to look at the reflection and see how writing the words on the mirror keeps them from seeing themselves for who they truly are.
After the stations, one student, “Rachel,” was extremely moved. In our small groups, she opened up about some of the things she wrote down. She struggles with feeling depressed and has had thoughts of suicide. Her heart is broken and this is one of the first times she truly felt God in an experience. Rachel told me this is the first time in her life where she was truly curious about what a relationship with Jesus actually looked like. At the end of spring break, Rachel said “yes” to Jesus and is determined to jump in and learn more about what a relationship with Jesus looks like in her life!
- Liz Irick, Huntington Ministry Coordinator