Did You Ever Drive a Volvo?
Testimonial
Both of my grandfathers were alcoholics. My brother died at the age of fifty two of liver disease caused by his use of alcohol. If it had not been for my Sabbath School leader I could have been the next victim of alcohol abuse.
One day Lloyd came to our school and asked to speak to me privately about a serious matter. So we walked out into the parking lot and sat in his Volvo. There he “carefronted” me about some destructive choices I was making. Then he prayed. Result? That one prayer and intervention was an important positive turning point.
I had not spoken with Lloyd for about 35 years. I called Lloyd, now living in Portland, Oregon and asked him if he remembered taking me out of school and talking and praying with me. He said that he didn’t remember it. Then I asked him if he drove a Volvo when I was in the tenth grade. He said that he did. How did I know? I told Lloyd that I still remember seeing the chrome emblem on the dashboard when he prayed for me.
You may never know in this life the difference you are making in the life of a young person. Thank you for taking the time to care for a teenager.
That’s why Steve Case, President, Involve Youth Ministries, and I are producing a manual (set of five books) for parents, youth leaders, and church members. Book one, “A Place To Belong,” is how to provide a safe place that young people love to come to and bring their friends. Book four, “Making Good Choices,” to be completed soon, is about teen chemical dependency and intervention/resources for parents, pastors, and peers.
Hubert Cisneros
Hubert Cisneros is Youth and
Church Ministries Director for the
Mid-America Union Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists, Lincoln, Nebraska