Alive Youth - by Claire Henderson 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” - Ephesians 2:4-5

“By grace.” A phrase or a couple of words I hear often. And yet it’s the root of my salvation, it’s made me alive. To live by grace calls for humility, vulnerability, and a way of communication that can seem out of my hands. How do I teach this to teens? 

Let’s start with being rich. I’ve learned, and will remain learning, the richness of forgiveness. I’ve learned to ask for forgiveness from teens and what I’ve learned is that teenagers are incredibly resilient. They are welcoming. They want and need a place that they can feel safe enough in to communicate their thoughts, the things they have trouble with or the things they are rejoicing in. That richness of forgiveness has flown from teens and will always teach me of God’s mercy on me. 

Christ has continued to show me the correlation between “being made alive” and “by grace.” Being made alive is a gasp for air, a wide-eyed moment when everything is made new. How can I let the grace that has been given by a great Love anoint the anxiety I wrestle with daily to allow me to carry on with caring for/leading teenagers? 

This is where “by grace” comes in and this is where I’ll end. To watch these teenagers grow up in front of me is an honor in itself. This is where the “together” part of the verse is lived out, we’re both being made alive. 

How do I teach this to teens? By grace. It’s there, that undeserved favor, it’s there for both of us.