Johnny Appleseed

I've begun to realize that being a youth leader is a little bit like being a parent...and a lot like being Johnny Appleseed.

Johnny, or Mr. Appleseed as I like to call him, criss-crossed the nation planting appleseeds (coincidence? I think not) everywhere. Now, since he was alwasy on the move, Mr. Appleseed did not get to stick around and see his trees begin to grow. He wouldn't get to know whether or not they grew or if something happened to them. He didn't know who was going to care for his trees, he didn't know if anyone was going to be there for them...or how they would treat his beloved trees...or if they would even remember that he planted them...He'd probably never get to see his trees full grown. He wouldn't get to know whether or not they would bear fruit or what kind of fruit it would be.

That is where I am, now...I planted seeds (hopefully) in the middle school and high school girls in my Bible study, but I will be going off to college again...and I don't know whether or not I'll be coming home next summer...so, I'm going to pass the group on to a new leader....which means I won't be around to see how these girls turn out...what kind of spiritual fruit they bear...who they grow to be...but regardless...I'll always love them...I'll always be there if they need me...and they'll always be in my prayers.