I am not worthy.

That was the thought running through my head as I watched over 865 students gather on a high school football field last night. There were football players, cheerleaders, nerds, geeks, preps, goths and all other manner and “class” of teen there - all for one purpose: To come together in the name of Jesus. I’m sure some of them came just for the free pizza, but God’s ok with that too.

So after the pizza, and the greetings, and the worship team, and the student speakers, and the dramas (all great, by the way), someone came up and gave an altar call. I watched over 150 kids walk up to the front to make a first time commitment or a rededication. I followed, encouraged because I was a “youth pastor” and I can do this. Boy was I wrong.

There I stood, praying behind a few young men and after a while something occured to me. They had walked down the “aisles” to make this incredible life-changing decision, and I was scared to death to speak to them. I kept waiting for some other leader or adult they might have known to come find themThey didn’t know me from Adam or any other guy, and yet they were supposed to pour out their greatest needs at this most emotional moment? Nope. They stood there, eyes open, waiting for something miraculous to happen. Nothing did. The longer I stood there, the more I knew that if I didn’t say anything to them, they were going to walk away, unchanged, and probably not make a decision like this again in the near future.

So there, standing on the 40-yard-line of a football field , surrounded by 864 other people, God helped me overcome something I didn’t even know I had a problem with. I mustered up my courage and tapped both boys on the shoulder. “I know you don’t know me,” I said, “but I wanted to ask you something: Why did you come down here?” “To know God,” the boy names James said. The other boy known as Jonathan nodded.

God moved, overcame fear, and began change in those lives last night. And I got to be a witness for Him.

I am not worthy. But I’m glad I was there.