Oh the Places We'll Go, Part 2

One of the focal points of our Relationship Retreat was a Question Box.  This was a place where the youth could anonymously ask any question, with whatever words they needed to use, and we would try to answer it.  This worked really well.  For instance, one of the questions was about the reliability of birth control. My co-leader, Terry Venable, was able to point to himself, his wife Leigh Ann and his infant daughter Emily as an example of how birth control is NOT 100% effective!  It was a great teaching moment.  The Question Box was a highlight of the weekend- until the last morning...

On Sunday morning I had to return to Springfield for reasons I do not remember, and in my absence Terry pulled a question from the box.  He read it to himself and immediately panicked.  The question read "What is oral sex?"  Fifteen years later the question would change to "Is oral sex really sex?"  In that more innocent age, it was a subject that was still pretty taboo- at least at a youth retreat!  He read it to the gathered group, trying to decide how to approach this delicate subject.  He didn't want to be too graphic.  He couldn't just ignore it.  So he gave one of the great answers of all time- "Oral sex is when you talk about sex."  Everyone accepted it as a joke and he was able to move on without further damage.  I returned later that morning to hear the story and laugh at Terry's creativity, and that afternoon we all returned home.

For me, however, the fun was just starting.  On Monday, I received a call from a distressed Mom.  It seemed that the question had come from one of my younger middle school girls- and she still wanted an answer!  Her mother was not excited about trying to explain it, and her father flat out refused.  So Mom called me to tell that since I made the mess, I had to clean it up!  We talked awhile and decided that perhaps it was better that she hear it from her mother. Whether she did or not I never knew.  I do know I never told her. 

As I said when I started yesterday's posting, being a youth minister is never dull.  It is also a huge responsibility, especially if you are willing to deal with the whole life of the teenagers you serve- emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually- and face reality walking hand-in-hand with them and their parents.  It's how we teach them that Jesus is part of everyday life, and that God is not something you put in a box marked "Open on Sunday Only."  And it is the part of "the great adventure" that I miss every day...

Because of Jesus,