Love Enough

I have 3% of my money raised for Spain!


Sometimes I worry that God has given me too fragile of a spirit. I love too often and trust too easily, don't ever give up on "lost causes", have my heart broken and bruised by other people (who often promise that they will not be the same as the one before...). I often forget to take time for myself, because I am too busy with everyone else.

On the other hand, I have come to realize that this trait I have always though of as a "fault" has made me a better Jr High leader and a better follower of Christ. I truly do believe that it takes a certain gentleness and vulnerability to be with jr highers (especially girls) and to have them genuinely respect and listen to you. I am afraid that too many people get into student ministry for the wrong reasons: because their kids are older and they need to keep an eye on them, because someone else pushed them into it, because they feel those kids need to be whipped into shape before they can be "real christians". I am not saying that these kids are perfect, or don't need any help learning to behave, but they need to be given a chance to learn. My girls have become some of my greatest teachers the last 2 years. They have taught me how to embrace my fragility and how to share it with others. These 13 year old girls have taught me more about faith than many sermons or books could. I didn't go into this ministry looking to be changed, in fact I wasn't even looking to be a part of it at all. But with God's amazing plan, I was thrown into it and these have been an amazing couple of years.

Jr High kids are just looking for people to love them and to listen to them. But it takes a special kind of person to see the thin line between guiding in faith and love and churning out a group of kids who know all the "right" answers, but feel nothing. I do not think that just anyone can spend a lot of time with those kids... you will never hear me say that just anyone can do that! I just thinkt hat more people need to realize that those kids are the future of the church and of our world. Those kids are the future adult leaders who will be helping to raise my kids.

I look forward to this next year and what craziness JH will surely bring.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" - Mark 10:14-15