Are You on the Fence About Going to SteubySTL?

Are you on the fence about going to SteubySTL? Maybe it’s your classmate, or your friend, or your youth group leader, or (heaven forbid!) your parent who wants you to go this summer. Other teens seem so excited and can’t wait. You, on the other hand, meh. Maybe not so much.

You can check out some of these recaps from the SteubySTL365 blog from last summer and see all the cool things that happened. But I’m guessing that, if you are still on the fence, it’s for a different reason; the same reason I almost missed an amazing experience as a teen.

Yep, I’ve Been There, Too

I was in high school and my friend invited me to go on a weekend retreat with my youth group. My gut instinct: just say no. I was involved in numerous extracurricular activities at school and was taking several honors and AP classes. I really didn’t have time to be gone for a whole weekend. I hadn’t been that involved in my youth group up to that point and didn’t think I’d know many people going. I thought retreats were for dorky church kids and, being a public school kid, I didn’t want to be thought of with that label. It was going to require that I spend some of the money I had worked hard to earn the summer before and that I was saving up for something other than a retreat. There were surely better things I could be doing that weekend. Even though my friend shared with me the amazing time she had last year, I wasn’t convinced.

Through some poking and prodding, I finally agreed to sign up for the retreat. Despite my initial reticence and low expectations, it ended up being one of the best experiences of my high school years! Several new friendships developed because of that retreat and my friendship with the girl who invited me only deepened. I got to be away from my parents for a weekend (which, we all know is an added bonus!) and have fun. Most of all, though, I encountered God in a way I had never really experienced before.

Even though I had a whole list of relatively valid reasons I could have said no, and they were all true, I used them as excuses in an attempt to avoid a situation that fell out of my comfort zone. Let’s be honest: I was afraid.

How did I get over that fear?

Acknowledge What Your Fears Are

Be honest with yourself. When you are afraid, your brain is pretty good at coming up with reasons against doing that thing. What is it that you are really afraid of? How is SteubySTL somehow outside the bounds of familiarity?

For me, I was afraid I might have to encounter something uncomfortable. I was afraid I might do something stupid and be judged for it. I was afraid because I simply had no way of imagining what it’d be like.

Maybe you share some of those fears. Or maybe you’re afraid because you’re not Catholic and you aren’t sure if you will feel out of place. Maybe you are Catholic but you’re not as “into it” as Emily or Luke from your youth group who are going and you are afraid that you will not enjoy it.

These are all legitimate fears. But, they are not reasons not to go. At some point, these are fears we simply have to acknowledge and overcome. Think about your first day in high school or your first day at a sports practice. Many of the same fears probably surfaced, but you still went and probably realized that your worst fears never materialized.

So what is truly the worst that can happen if you go to SteubySTL? Maybe you’ll feel uncomfortable at some point during the weekend. Maybe you’ll wish you were home asleep in your own bed at some point. Maybe you’ll do something silly like spill pizza down the front of your shirt in front of someone. In the grand scheme of things, are those really that terrible?

Focus on the Fun!

On the other hand, what’s the best that can happen if you go to SteubySTL? You could make some new friends or deepen existing friendships. You could discover something new about what’s important to you or what you enjoy. You could find new meaning in your relationship with God. You could have the most incredible weekend.

Don’t believe me? Check out a few of these blogs from past participants just like you.

Making yourself uncomfortable can actually be really fun. There’s an adrenaline rush from doing things that scare you. Hanging out with someone different can open your eyes to new things you might enjoy doing. Maybe going to SteubySTL will give you a chance to show a different side of yourself that you keep hidden at school, sports practices, rehearsals, or youth group meetings. Meeting someone from a different town or state at StuebySTL can teach you something about how other teens live and what’s important to them.

Think of at least one or two things about SteubySTL that seem really neat and focus on that as you get ready for July. Open your heart and your mind to discovering fun in places or ways you haven’t thought. I guarantee you that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Now get off the fence, talk to your youth minister, and go sign up for Steuby!!