Discomfort in the Familiar

My preteen self would have said “yes” if you asked whether I loved Jesus and loved my church.

There was consistency in church being a priority in our family.
There was an emphasis on serving and being involved beyond just attending.
There was love through relationships—relationships my parents, my siblings, and I built with people we spent hours with each week.

And yet, I still carry memories from my preteen years of discomfort—even in a place that felt familiar.

Early in my preteen years there was a season of tension, conflict, and hurt surrounding a certain situation.
I remember church hopping for the first time in my life during the summer before fourth grade.
I experienced different churches, meeting new pastors, and feeling unsure how to make sense of it all.

There were new faces to meet.
Questions to answer.
Stories to retell—over and over again.
In my preteen mind, there were comparisons of how things should be done, how they could be done,

and frustrations over why they couldn’t be the way I was used to.

I didn’t feel like I fit in with any crowd.
And that didn’t get better as I moved into middle school.

Looking back, if it hadn’t been for the familiar rhythm of church, my belief in God’s love for me

—formed through experience—and my family’s depth of involvement that modeled faith lived

out, I likely would have walked away from church for a season.

It was uncomfortable.

I didn’t prefer it.

Even though deep down, I knew I should stick with it.

Hebrews 13 reminds us: “So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?’ Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God.
Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace…”

Preteen years are full of moments that feel uncertain and uncomfortable.
But they are also years when a child’s brain and heart start connecting truths from God’s Word—they begin to decide for themselves what they believe.

I had a choice as a preteen to lean on what I knew to be true:

God is faithful.

God is always with me.

God loves me no matter what church I attend.

God made me to love others.

God made me to shine His light for others to see.

What truths are you helping your preteen know and understand?

Does your preteen know where to go to find truth?

Do you know how to find what you’re looking for in the Bible—and are you helping your preteen learn

how?

If you don’t start now, they will likely look elsewhere.