22 work hours.. straight!
BLAH! Soooo much to write about. I think I'll start with a funny story.Last night we had a lock in at the church. 16 kids, Leslyn (female lead) and myself. Around midnight we started a game of sardines, which is basically reverse hide and seek in the dark. Someone goes and hides, and when you find them, you hide with them - last person to find them is it.
So there's a bunch of high school students running around a pitch black church in the middle of a saturday night. On the second round, one of my girls decide to hide in the elevator. I discover them with when there's 11 kids in the elevator. I press the elevator button. Nothing happens. I hear voices of teenage panic. Yes, they're stuck. I'm by myself. I'm thinking, I'm gonna have to call the fire department - visions of youth ministry chaos are flashing through my mind, being "talked to" by the pastor and CE committee... oh goodie. Thankfully, my 6'4" 260# ogre of a student is in the elevator, forces the door open, and they all get out.
Good. Now I just have a broken elevator to deal with. Crap!
I tried the classic "re-boot", flipping the breaker and turning it back on. It worked. THANK GOD.
So yesterday was amazing. I woke up at 11am to start running around town preparing for the night. At 7pm we started an event for the entire church - semi-formal, music, dancing, karaeoke, and the usual snacks and drinks involved with these types of events. At 3:15 I was at the church setting up, by 5 all the kids were there, and at 6:45 we were ready to go. The kids did an INCREDIBLE job, completely exceeding my expectations AND desires. And, there was 17 kids at the event, 4 more than we've ever had for anything. The night went perfectly, the adults were very impressed, and a good time was had by all.
Now the best part of all this is that I was freaking out leading up to the event. Everything I tried to do either did not work or was only completed with much frustration. Much of the stuff I wanted to see there did not happen. But the event was still almost perfect. There's only one thing I would have rather have had there, and there is no wasy that was possible.
No matter how much I tried to make the event perfect, I couldn't. I had to let people do their thing and take control of the event. I only provided the resources necessary and empowered them to succeed - and they did! Talk about a lesson for a control freak...
The best part of all this happened tonight. I was talking with a friend of mine Christian Hill after Pierced tonight. He used to be a youth pastor. He said something like this - "When your students begin ministering to you as the leader, that is the ultimate sign of a healthy ministry." He continued to talk about how he believes that it is the heart of the leader that inspires this dynamic. WOW. Talk about encouraging! In my quest for success beyond anything numbers and programs this was the best words I could have heard tonight. I only pray that it is true - and not that I am just blessed with a sweet group of students. We are growing, the kids are growing together, the questions they are asking indicate spiritual growth - and unfortunately there is no way to quantify the measure of spiritual growth, ever... but I will take these encouragements and continue to be faithful with what God has entrusted me with.
Next up this week - 64 hours til takeoff. Yesssssssss...
posted by Devo @ 1:05 AM
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