did I sign up for this?

This past weekend another Teen that I had a close relationship with, died.

I'll never forget walking into our cabin and seeing him asleep in my bed, just to annoy me.
I'll never forget getting into my bed that same night to realize he put a bunch of stuff under my mattress to make it all lumpy.
I'll never forget that he would never go to bed, unless I looked up baseball scores on my phone. (he loved the cubs)

But most of all, I wont forget the conversation we had at 2 am when he rededicated his life to God. He talked about wasting his life, and how he didn't want to do that anymore.

I got to see him live out what he decided that thursday night. I got to see him travel to Jamaica on a missions trip, I got to see him move to Arkansas, where he would ultimately die, to work with at risk youth.

I am proud of him. I am proud of the man he became. I am proud of the things he did for Christ.

But as I deal with a whole bunch of feelings, I realize that I have been called to a pretty special job while here on earth. If this means vocational ministry or not, I am called to work with youth.

I guess I didn't realize I would also have to deal with death. I thought maybe I would have to deal with the youth when their grandparents died, maybe when their parents died, but not when the YOUTH died. I never thought of that.

I am glad I got to play a role in David's life. I am glad he decided to live for God. There is nothing else living for.