YFC was the place for me --- in high school. Ever the loner, I wandered through my first year, making few friends, putting in my time. I wasn't really unhappy; I just didn't fit in. I played right guard on the Junior Varsity football team (I've always been a big boy.), but I didn't play very well, and the hot Florida sun workouts didn't fit in with my chocolate sundaes and TV.
I was just starting to drive, and I became friends with another loner, David B., a short, stocky fellow, who came from a fairly well-to-do family. I also discovered (or they found me) a small group of upbeat kids, led by a curly-haired young man by the name of George S.. He was president of a school club called Youth for Christ. Already having a secondary religious nature, I easily adapted to this band of Christian enthusiasts.
I was regularly teased for my straight-laced behaviour by several other boys in school, but this new group of friends welcomed me just as I was. The interesting thing about the off-color teasing from the "heathen" boys was that they thought that I didn't know what they were alluding to. But with TV (been watching it since I was born), and the worldy Jimmy D. and David B., I was pretty savvy to the innuendos directed my way. However, I didn't let on that I knew, and I felt uncomfortable being around such talk.
The YFC club met weekly in one of the classrooms. The meetings consisted mainly of reading the Bible, praying and brainstorming on how to get our classmates "saved." I recall one campaign we pursued to add God into our team spirit. Edgewater high school's mascot was an eagle, so we printed up the verse Isaiah 40:31 (they that wait upon the Lord ... shall mount up with wings like eagles), mimeographed (There's a word from the past!) hundreds of them and stuffed them in all of the hall lockers before the big game.
The only other activity in the YFC club was preparing for Saturday night, when clubs from all of the other local schools would compete in Bible memorization at the Youth For Christ rally in downtown Orlando. Several hundred students would congregate in the YFC youth center for singing, entertainment and preaching. The contest consisted of sitting on an electronic signal pad attached to a folding chair, then waiting for the moderator to begin reading slowly a verse from the Bible. The contestant who knew the verse would jump up, then, when acknowledged as having been first, would be required to complete it and give its reference. It was actually quite fun, even though it was King James version. Sort of like Shakespeare doing a Christian game show.
I would later become president of Edgewater's Youth For Christ club, but first I had to get "saved."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment