Stick It To 'Em

Each week brought new lessons and adventures in Jamaica this summer. Each team that came was unique and awesome. My first group was from Albany, GA. I always say that teens model their leadership and these teens were warm, prepared, open, and flexible, just like their leaders. We had a terrific week that was packed full of fun and lots of learning experiences.

One of the most impacting things from my entire summer was at the end of this first week. To wrap up each week we have one last team meeting where we share our favorite memories from the week and talk about ways we can bring our experiences home. The Youth Pastors of the group brought post-it notes with them for an activity they call "Stick It To Them." It's so easy to get caught up in the negative feedback we receive from people - and the negative seems to stick with us longer than the positive things we hear from people. So, Stick It To Them is a chance for us to be positive towards one another in a way that sticks with us. Each person writes one positive thing on a post-it for each person. It can be a memory from the week, a way you saw them serve in an awesome way, a way you saw God through them, Scripture, you can even draw a picture that pops into your mind when you think of them. I watched my team do this for one another - it wasn't the first time any of them had done this, but it was wonderful for me to watch as they put a lot of thought into their notes. After their notes were written they actually stuck them on each other! Everyone was covered in bright post-it notes.

And then they did this activity for our Praying Pelican Staff. We stood as the students came and stuck post-its all over us. It seems like such a silly thing, but it was so much fun and I couldn't wait to read what was on the notes. Not only was I encouraged then, but I kept those notes and re-read them later in the summer and again since coming home. Each time it was exactly what I needed to hear to help me stay on track with my walk with Christ. Proverbs 18:21 says, "The power of life and death are in the tongue." And when we use our words to encourage we are using it for life. Maybe use this activity at work or in your own youth group this week!