June 19 – “A youth pastor flashback moment”

I had one of those youth pastor flashback moments yesterday.  Not a happy one, particularly.  Just a “sigh” kind of realization memory.  I worked all afternoon on a project for children’s camp.  I created a travel bingo game specifically geared to the route we will be taking between here and Waco.  It meant hours of online searching for just the right pictures, printing out said pictures, creating a blank Bingo card, gluing the pictures onto said card, and making copies of each card.  Of course each one had to be different from every other so the chances of a double winner would be less.  I even drew one of the pictures freehand on each card – the one entitled “PK Sleeping.”  Not that they would ever catch me sleeping on the road trip.  Let’s just say that self-portraits are not my specialty.  Anyway, I finally finished up everything right around 6 last night. 

So what was the “sigh” moment?  I remembered the many hours I put into similar activities when I was a youth pastor, only to find that the kids wouldn’t appreciate the work.  Oh, they may or may not have fun with it, or learn from it.  But appreciate it?  Nah.  Or maybe time or the situation at the event doesn’t even warrant using the activity so it gets scratched.  And as a minister – or perhaps as a schoolteacher from what I understand – that has to be OK.  The joy comes in seeing the face of that one kid who gets the first “Bingo” or completes the puzzle for the first time ever or better yet, who has an “Aha moment” about the application to real life. 

So, the Ministry ...Teaching.  Difficult life?  Oh, yes.  Satisfying life.  Absolutely. 

Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Father, be with these kiddos as they prepare for camp.  Raise their excitement level, and don’t let them be disappointed.  Amen.