Thankful for My Youth-Group Leader

I wanted to write this post because I've never 'formally/officially' thanked God for this experience/time in my life, and for this person having been in my life. I feel that doing this will help me to remember the memories during those 1-2 years in context of God, instead of simply in context of the emotions or the person. Because, it is God who brought me through those times, and God who taught me in those times, and God who loved me in those times. It is God who brought the people in my life and who changed me. And this serves as a testimony and remembering of sorts. It is good to remember what God has done, as well as what He still is doing.

I am thankful to God for my youth group leader in 6th grade, who loved me with God's love. Every week, I looked forward to Friday because of her.

I am thankful for the conference we went to that summer. It was there that she told me she was leaving our Church and would no longer be my youth group leader. God was there at that moment when she told me this, when my world fell apart at that news. He was also there that night during worship when they played the song "Hungry", and I fell to my knees and cried and cried. More like sobbed.

I'm falling on my knees, Offering all of me.

Jesus, you're all this heart is living for.

I told God that I needed Him, because He would never leave me. Everyone else would leave me, but He would never leave me nor forsake me. Then a friend (also in 6th/7th grade) came to me and said to me: "I felt like God wanted me to give you this verse", and he read it to me:

For you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ~Jeremiah 29:13

I hope that I will always remember that God was there during that time, and during the year(s) afterwards when I still missed her. I forget again and again that I need to put my trust and hope in God, not in people (or achievements). These things will fail and/or fade away, but God will never fail.

In December 2002 (I was 12), I wrote in my journal:

"I think that following God is like connecting dots, except the dots form a straight line. The dots are like retreats or going to Church or Christians around you or maybe the Holy Spirit or God. You need them for the line to be straight... There are usually only two dots because you only need two dots--Church, cell group. Only need two dots to draw the line, but the line goes farther than the two dots. It's hard to keep drawing it straight. You need more closer dots. Closer meaning time. Like everyday you need to have an intimate relationship with God, not just Sunday and Friday, but every day- daily devotions, to keep you on a straight path. I think God is telling me this. I need more of Him in my life, like every day. I hope that I don't forget this" ~Jamie Tsai 12/29/2002

And I hope that I don't forget this. That I need thee, God, each day.

What a beautiful journey it is with God. I share this post to preach to myself and remind myself, and so I can look back on this when I forget, as well as share this testimony of what God has done with others. Hopefully it is God-centered and God-glorifying. We need God. God loves us.