sacred conversations

*Names have been changed for the protection of students

On a chilly Friday night, I was standing under the stands at a Dexter High School football game talking to a girl named Molly, when she asked a very valid question: “If you don’t go to Dexter, why are you here?” I explained that I was a Young Life leader and that I got to show up for students in a bunch of different spaces, like Drama Club, Field Hockey, and Football. When I mentioned it was a Christian organization, she immediately asked, “Well, what do you believe about God?”

For a second, I froze. I hadn’t expected that question under the bleachers of a packed football game. But I did my best to explain the Gospel: the truth that God created us, loves us, and wants a relationship with us. I probably stumbled through it and didn’t say everything perfectly, but she listened. Then she started asking more questions about what faith actually means and how I know God is real and what that means for my life. We talked until she had to run off to perform at halftime, but before she left, I got her number so we could keep talking.

That short conversation has stuck with me. It reminds me why showing up matters, even when it feels insignificant or awkward.

A few days later, I ran into Molly at a local coffee shop where she brought up our conversation again. Moments like the one with Molly remind me that God really is the one pursuing people; I just get to show up and be a part of it. I don’t know what will come of this new friendship, but I do know the Lord is moving in ways I will never understand.

— Taryn Wachowiak, Dexter High School Leader