Neutral Turf

We Didn't Have Someone to Take Our Picture So We Took a Panorama Picture and Passed the Phone. It Worked!

It's very helpful when somebody tells you the perfect way to describe a situation you are experiencing. This week I talked to Steve Schmitt about everything going on in Franklin County and he gave me a perfect illustration. The way we work in Young Life is we go to kid's 'turf'. This means showing up wherever kids are going to be and often revolves around the school. More often than not this is what we are talking about when we are doing 'contact work'. However, Steve put it differently. When we hang out with kids there is a spectrum. When we hang out with them where they are normally at we call it their turf, and when they come to something we do, like club or campaigners, that is our turf. However, there is something in the middle that isn't either one of ours; neutral turf. This is anything outside of the first two categories; a restaurant, going to the movies, riding around town, playing ultimate frisbee, basketball at the YMCA, the list goes on. This week put neutral turf in perspective for me.

The Franklin County Men Hit the City

As a fan of football I was excited for the playoff
games. Ben and I decided to invite a few guys over to watch the games on Sunday. We have done great at meeting kids on their turf, but we are trying to crack the neutral turf barrier and hang out with kids outside a school setting. However, when Sunday rolled around we only had two guys show up. This was discouraging, but we had a blast with the guys that came. In the midst of throwing frisbee, tomahawks and watching some good football we got to talking about our experiences with watching pro games in person. I told them I had gone to a Charlotte Bobcats game with my brothers last season and that it was cheap. Within seconds of telling them that one had already pulled up tickets to the game the following day; only $10 each. As an added bonus they didn't have school. We told them that if they could fill up a car full of guys to go, we would drive them down and make a day trip of it. A few hours later the plans were all laid out to pack seven of us in a car and head to see the Charlotte Bobcats take on the Houston Rockets. It's funny how when we feel our most inadequate the Lord does something sweet.

We Snuck Down and Took Some Court Side Pictures After the Game.

So at 9 a.m. we hit the road, cramming four seniors, one freshman, Ben and myself into our committee chair's SUV and headed down the road. We had adventures along the way between long McDonald's pit stops and navigating an unfamiliar city. Upon making it to the arena we watched two mediocre teams play from sub par seats and didn't mind one bit. We cheered louder than anyone else while not really caring who won, all the while having our freshman friend shout "Fear the beard!" every time James Harden made a shot. After the game we stopped at Chik-Fil-A and feasted on some delicious chicken while planning our next adventure out. On the way home we got stuck in traffic and made the best of it by jamming out to whatever song we could think of to play on Spotify and regaled our fellow wayfarers with the windows rolled down and loud choruses of classics like Drops of Jupiter.

Some of Us Got a Little Sleepy During the Final Stretch

This was the definition of spending time in neutral turf. We got to know kids away from the norm and make memories that I'm sure none of us will ever forget. The community that we got to enjoy, and the way the seniors treated the freshman guy as an equal, was something that will have big implications for the culture of the school in general. As we look to move kids towards our turf our hope and prayer is that the Lord give us more opportunities like this. As I've been reading in Scripture I again come across the story of the Exodus. After leaving Egypt the Israelites followed the Lord in the form of a pillar of smoke by day and of fire by night. That is crazy. Whenever the pillar would stop, they would too and make camp until it moved again. As it took 40 years to reach their destination I'm sure that it often stopped for longer periods of time. In seeing their persistence in trusting whenever it moved AND whenever it stopped it gives me vision for where we are now. I don't think we have lost any momentum, but I do think we are where the Lord wants us for a bit. I think the pillar has stopped here and we are to dwell for a bit in 'neutral turf'. It's incredible to see the way He takes care of His people. This Monday was an awesome example of that.