If you were blessed enough to be a part of your church's youth group you know there really is no way to describe it to your friends that weren't a part of it without sounding crazy. There is just something special about those Sunday nights. True "youth groupers" know all these things to be frighteningly true.
1. You’re only truly “free” nights were Friday and Saturday.
Because Sunday nights are spent at church.
2. Some of your best friends did not go to the same high school as you.
And some lives nearly an hour away.
3. You know every secret passageway of your church.
Hide and seek was the best.
4. You have nicknames for all the leaders.
SteveO, Greggeatspants, Christmas Man, there are just so many.
5. You pretended you were all the children of the leaders whenever you went out in public.
The look on the cashier's face when 25 kids thanked "Mom" for dinner was priceless.
6. Everyone knows whose suitcase is whose.
Yes, mine is the bright blue one that is always over the weight limit at the airport.
7. You can match each pillow pet to its owner.
Caitlin has the dolphin, Marsha the frog, Virginia the butterfly, Kristen the ladybug, Julie the dog, and me the zombie.
8. Mission trip season is the best season.
You have a countdown on your phone, don't lie.
9. And you suffer severely from Post Mission trip Depression for the entire month after the trip.
What's the point of doing anything if you're doing mission work?
10. You all know the one kid that always forgot his Bible on retreats.
And you know the one girl that always brought two for cases like these.
11. Your youth leaders’ kids were like your kids and you got a ton of babysitting gigs from them.
But remember, no television after 7 p.m., no junk food, no electronics, and stupid is a bad word.
12. You obviously went to get food both before and after youth group with your friends.
The Applebee's waitresses hated us.
13. Everyone had “their spot” in the parking lot.
Second row back, fourth spot in from the left.
14. And “their spot” in the vans.
Third row, window seat. Lives have been threatened over this seat.
15. Relationships within the youth group always ended up being bad news.
No matter how many years you may have stalked the cutie in the pew in front of you.
16. Your prayed your crush would be on your mission trip team even before you knew where the mission trip was.
And when he or she was on your team you thought it was a sign from God you two were meant to be.
17. There is not such thing as privacy.
The youth group knows things about you you don’t even know about yourself.
18. You know every word to “Trading My Sorrows.”
And the hand-motions that go with it.
19. You have your favorite retreat center.
Shoutout to Sunshine Acres.
20. Nothing will ever be more awkward than the three minutes of silence waiting for a volunteer to pray.
The same kid always ended up caving in and praying. Bless you for that buddy.
21. You always said you were going to go to “See You at the Pole.”
But somehow managed to sleep through it every year.
22. Everyone knows which is “the good van.”
The one with air conditioning and a working radio.
23. And everyone knows the “bad van.”
The big black one that looks like a rapist van.
24. You had special shorts that were “appropriate” that you only wore on church trips.
Fingertips ladies.
25. You got into a fight with a leader about your bathing suit on a beach trip.
But why don't the boys have to wear shirts?
26. You hated strongly disliked that one kid that bragged about his Bible knowledge none stop.
Humility is key bud.
27. You have a collection of youth group/mission trip t-shirts.
And you're sure to Snapchat a pic of you in them to your youth group friends every time you wear them.
28. You know what “No Purple” means.
And instinctively roll your eyes when you hear it.
29. You know how to shop for snacks.
What's a bus ride without beef jerky, saltines, sunflower seeds, and blue Doritos.
30. You can recite John 3:16 forward, backwards, in Spanish, and in sign language.
You can tell the difference between the King James and New Living translations too.
31. VBS week is the equivalent of tax season for accountants.
5 days, 5 hours of sleep, but countless kids coming to know the Savior.
32. When you went off to college you missed youth group most of all and can’t wait to come back and be a leader.
You FaceTimed your younger friends so you could feel like you were still there and catch up on all the drama.
