I was recently  visited by a federal agent.  When I first received a call from him I started mentally going through anything I might have done wrong, over my entire lifetime, just because I wasn’t sure how else to react.  I am not sure about you, but being contacted by the FBI is not a regular occurrence for me.

The reason for this interaction was not about me at all, it was about a former student.  He is not being charged with a crime or in any kind of trouble, but he is being investigated, and very thoroughly.

He recently left for basic training as a proud member of the United States Air Force.  He is being investigated so he can receive a high level of security clearance.  He will be able to say “I could tell you but then I would have to kill you” and being telling you the 100% honest truth.

As a federal agent sat at my dining room table asking me a million questions, there were a few things that went through my mind:

I knew more about this student than I first realized

He had been one of my small group guys, a student leader, and a good friend so I did know the answers to a lot of the questions. When it came to questions like “has or does he hold any foreign business contacts or off shore accounts?”  I had to answer “not to my knowledge”.  But when it came to personal and character questions I could answer with confidence.

Discipleship doesn’t end at graduation

This student is someone I have personally discipled.  He has been out of high school for nearly two years and we have stayed in touch and still share our lives with each other.  It was a great honor to be on the list of people that could testify toward his character and background.  When I was asked “Is he a person that can be trusted with our countries’ secrets?” I could confidently answer “yes”!

God is at work everywhere

I am glad to know that God’s light will be shining even among highly classified information and duties.  We often tell students “you have no idea what God might want to do with your life”, and this is a testament to that.

Every decision has consequences we have no idea about

I think a lot of teenagers carry the attitude that they can do whatever they want now and clean up their life later.  I was asked about past drinking, drug use, etc.  This student had lived up to this verse:

1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT) Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

And that decision as a teenager is paying off now.  The decisions and choices we make as teenagers will follow us for the rest of our life, the good and the bad.  I know he did not realize it at the time, but he could have made different choices in high school and they could have ruined this chance for him now.

It is a rare thing for an FBI agent to knock on my door, but this experience has encouraged me as I realize that what I do every day for God is making a difference, not only in my church and community, but in the world.  What you do as a youth worker has a larger impact than you realize, keep pressing on!