baby steps

today the middle school ministries and the high school ministries at covenant were together and it was interesting...great, but interesting.
watching the dynamic between a 12 year old and a 17 year old was quite entertaining, but the point to this post is not that, but about one of the 16 year olds...actually two.
i was sitting near the back with a few of my middle schoolers and in front of us, was a beautiful, boy-loving girl, and she was not paying attention to what dave was saying and if she was, i don't think she was comprehending the message.
maybe she was, but that's a different issue.
the reason for my ranting is i was really frustrated by the display of affection between this lovely girl and the boy sitting next to her...no worries very G rated, but it was done in front of four or five 12 year olds, and it just really bothered me.
these middle schoolers love learning on sunday mornings, they have such a heart for their youth group and they were distracted by what was happening in front of them.
of course the two love birds in front of us had no idea how they were affecting the people around them because they are 16 and nowhere in their brainwave is the thought of, 'how am i affecting middle schoolers with my actions,' but still as a leader it made me upset.
i could have said something, but i didn't. they weren't doing really anything wrong, but i knew my girls were distracted. maybe i didn't feel it was my place to tell them to pay attention and stop whispering, i don't know.
it was just interesting because it is very rare when i get to see the major differenes between middle school students and high school students.
from what i've noticed with covenant, and is probably true for most youth groups is that high schoolers usually go because they find a person of the oppisite gender 'so cute,' not only phisically, but they go to church too...duh, and with middle schoolers they go because they usually have too and their friends are there.
i know these are not the only reasons, but i can't wait till my middle schoolers get into high school and go to youth group because they like a boy, it might not be the best reason to go to church, but it means they are growing and maturing into amazing young women.
the high schoolers at covenant are amazing and love jesus, and realize they are their because they want to learn the word, but it takes baby steps to get to that point and if liking another student is one of those steps then so be it.
so, for my middle schoolers and those two crazy 16 year olds...like away.