What I Learned From Karla

I was twenty four, pumped, and ready for anything, as I embarked on my first year in ministry as the high school Pastor at my church. In my mind I had it all together, I knew it all, had seen it all, and was ready to show students, parents, and the other pastors how high school ministry was done.  

My, “I know everything” attitude came to a screeching halt within the first few months, as I experienced my first tragedy. One of my core students was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. This information left me speechless. The following year bulged with questions from students, questions I had for God, tears, and ultimately, the most beautiful funeral I have ever had the privilege to be a part of.  The lessons I learned from watching a 15 year old girl named Karla, live a faith better than most 50 year veteran Christians, will never be forgotten:

Students can make a HUGE impact- I always believed this statement, but this experience provided for me a living example. I understood more clearly that a life that is lived for God can change the world.  A life of surrender demonstrates hope. Our students need to show the world they are not the hope of the future but the hope of now.  Karla brought hundreds of people to Christ through a life which showed that death isn’t the worst that can happen to a person and having 2,500 people attend her funeral affirmed that.  I need to consistently remind my students they are the hope for NOW, today.

Lead with your hands tied behind your back- My leadership style tends to be “let me show you how to do it.  I know better, and you should do it the way that I tell you to.”   Students need a leader who is willing let them fail.  If I expect the students in my group to do great things, than I need to show them that I believe in them, and their way of doing things even if that means an occasional crash. Honestly, even though this idea makes me nervous at times I know that great things will happen when I am not there to be the fix-it-man. If I would have tried to help Karla, I would’ve just gotten in the way of God using her grand ways.

Joy is contagious- Karla was one of the most joyful people I have ever met. I couldn’t help smiling when I saw her. If anyone embodied the joy of Christ, this 15 year old girl did, and everyone loved her for it. Sometimes the best witness to our students is showing the joy we have in God. When we look past the stress of the job, the frustration of pay, the ridiculous amount of hours we work, or people that don’t understand us, we should still be joyful for the mere fact that we get to serve a God who died for us, and our students, and loves us unconditionally.  Do my students see and sense my joy for God? They should.

Unfortunately, it took something as shaking as a student’s death, in order for me to believe, with all I have in me, that my students can make a difference in the world. I had a lot to learn from Karla, she was a great teacher.