WRESTLING

When I was a young youth pastor, I was always on the lookout for curriculum that was relevant for teenagers. 

Now that I am at Sardinia and once again getting to work a bit with teenagers, I come up with lesson ideas by simply asking myself, "What do I wish someone had told me - about faith or people or life - when I was that age?"

Tonight we went to the story of Jacob wrestling with the mysterious "man" the night before he was going to meet Esau. 

I love the fact that the "man" changes Jacob's name to "Israel" and that the name (which was taken then by God's people as a whole) means "he wrestles with God". 

I wish that when I was a teenager that someone had told me not only that it was OK to wrestle with God and to ask lots of questions, but it is actually a great thing to do so. 

In fact, it's one of the distinctives of God's people.

And personally I have found that no matter what sort of wrestling match I care to challenge God to, He can hold His own.