What Do You See?

What do you see when you look at this image?
 
Do you see a broken car with no further purpose?
 
Or do you see a car that has the potential to be restored to be better than its original state?
 
I spent nine years in youth ministry in the local church I feel that this year I was truly able to say that the latter question is my new response now when I see a picture like the one above.  We tend to say that we "see potential" just as a knee jerk response.  This year, I feel that I actually bought into that phrase in regards to the students I interact with on a daily basis.  Here are some examples...
 
One student in particular ended up in my office as a result of needing a disciplinary action.  This student had previous troubles at our institution but at the conclusion of the semester, of which we spent time meeting weekly, he had changed completely.  God not only restored him but made him a better version of him.
 
Another student came to me and literally felt like he was this car.  He felt broken down and unusable.  Again, through explaining to him that he was not broken and that God was reshaping him to be better, he now sees a bigger purpose and lives differently.
 
The bottom line is that we often brush people off, especially students, who appear to be in the condition of this car.  Maybe we do it because...

• we don't have time to invest
• we don't know how to invest
• we simply don't care
• we feel like we are broken too

Whatever the case may be in Christian higher education, many students whether we want to beleive this or not, feel like this car and it is our responsibility in student development to help them see themselves as God sees them.

What student do you need to help see the potential in them that they never saw before?

 
Think of that student and make an effort to speak life into them this fall!