TeenPact is Like a Deck of Cards

It was only last week that I drove away from TeenPact Survival Northwest.

Survival was absolutely amazing, and I’m coming to realize that words don’t quite express the things you experience at TeenPact. As I was thinking over what happened at this event, a sort of story started to form in my mind. Maybe you’ll appreciate reading it.

TeenPact is like a deck of cards. Wait—what? At TeenPact Survival, I bought a deck of playing cards from the TeenPact store. You’ve probably seen them before. Well, going into the week, I knew I wanted this deck of cards—like, really wanted them. The first night the TeenPact store was open, I was told they did not have any. I was slightly disappointed, but the very next evening they had the cards, and I had my chance to get my own deck! I had wanted this since March at the Iowa Four Day Class, when I couldn’t afford more merchandise from the TeenPact store. I was so happy. I finally had the cards, and I wanted to do nothing more than look at them, treasure them, and put them on a shelf so they would never be tarnished or damaged.

But then it hit me—that’s not their purpose. A deck of cards is not meant to sit on a shelf collecting dust, only to be looked at from time-to-time. No, they’re meant for a purpose—to be used to encourage friendship and fellowship with others. In the same way, I have a purpose—to use and apply what I learned at TeenPact.

Now that I’m home, I have a choice: put my cards on a shelf for all to see but not use, or use them for their intended purpose, allowing others to share in my joy, while also risking some damage along the way. I came to Survival Northwest with a burning desire to learn and grow through the teaching, the worship, and the fellowship. Just like with my deck of cards, I’m now faced with the same question. What will I do with what I’ve received?

I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I’ve decided I would rather use my playing cards and risk them getting bent and misused than just look at them and never exploit their purpose. In the same way, I’m going to DO something about what I have learned at TeenPact. Instead of simply looking at it (pictures or videos), loving it (reminiscing about past events), and never DOING anything about it, I’m going to apply these lessons to my life and tell others about them.

We are called to share the good news with the world. We love the news—we even live for it, but if we hole it up inside and keep it out of reach, how are we telling the world how Jesus has changed us? We need to not only buy that deck of cards, but use it for it’s intended purpose. Yes, we must cherish and treasure it, but we must not be afraid to use it for its intended purpose. It was made for a reason. We were made for a reason. Let’s live like it!

Lauren Kennedy is a TeenPact student and hails from a small town in the midwest called Stuart, Iowa.