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YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN MINISTRY WHEN...pt 2
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When everything goes wrong, people are looking at you.
I'm not simply speaking of the negative, though that happens from time to time. I'm speaking of those moments when people look for a leader. It's pretty daunting!
I can remember the very first moment for me like it was yesterday (it's one of my favorite, yet not so favorite stories). Twenty two years old and fresh out of Bible college I was a man on a mission. This is the countdown that everyone talks about. This is the moment people can't wait for. My transition was easy so I felt pretty good about it. Many parents did not. I can understand. I was young and single. Who in their right mind would want that around their child? Marriage does have it's benefits. It felt like I was filling a position. Others did too. Eventually they would find "the real" youth pastor and I would move on. And then it happened.
As we were driving to Colorado for Summer Camp and Desperation, one of the 11 vans we had was pinched by two semis, clipped and sent flipping into the median. The van in front saw this happening and pulled over to the side being rear ended by the other semi. Down the street from your house this is bad news. In the middle of Kansas (or nowhere depending on how you look at it), it's really bad news. I looked to my rear view mirror and could see teenagers running across I-70. The van that flipped had moms in it. The van that was rear ended had family. I did what only I could think of. Open the door and start running. I was running, faster than I ever had before. Forrest Gump and Bullseye had nothing on this. I covered a mile in no time. As I got there, everyone was safe. Talk about a miracle. A couple of semis and a couple of tumbles could have gone a lot worse.
As I ran up, I got the look. It's indescribable. Everyone who had been going through the motions was now looking and me and asking, without saying a word "what do we do?" We had 70 people with us. Teenagers can't hang out on the side of the road. The police had arrived and we didn't need more bodies. A couple of sons almost got into a fight with irrate truck driver (he could have killed their mom and he was being a real jerk about it). It was getting out of hand quickly. I won't bore you with the details but all was well. We got the students to camp (through some shifting and moving). I spent the night getting a new van (which I drove 4 hours out of the way for) and arriving to my house (1.5 hrs short) at 3 in the morning. I got a couple hours rest (literally), made it to camp and the rest went off without a hitch. At least it felt that way because how could anything be worse.
I can't tell you what "the look" is like. It's indescribable. It's in that moment you find what you are made. You figure out who you are. You know that you are called. A lot of people clamor for visibility. It's desirable to be in front, have people know you and all the yada yada yada that comes with what we do. That's not why we signed up. We are called to be shepherds. We have our time with the sheep but we are also fighting of lions and bears. Most people like the sheep part. Especially when it gives you a microphone and a captive audience. No one likes the lions and bears. However, it's the shepherd that steps up and deals with it.
I hope this does not come arrogantly. I don't look at my position and think of the joys of hoarding. I do know what's it like when people see you as the leader and it's time to act. It's in those moments that you can't take a timeout to pray. You can't freeze time and accidents to ask of the LORD. You've have to have prayed for guidance and direction already! That's the in season and out of season. The middle of Kansas wasn't calling me as a place of issues. It just happened and away we went. If you're a leader and are struggling with getting "the look", don't worry it will come. There will be a moment when all others who think you shouldn't be there, aren't qualified or they would do a better job step back and it's all you. Be ready. Be prepared. Both mentally and spiritually. You are called.
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Now playing: Hillsong United - Lead Me To The Cross
I'm not simply speaking of the negative, though that happens from time to time. I'm speaking of those moments when people look for a leader. It's pretty daunting!
I can remember the very first moment for me like it was yesterday (it's one of my favorite, yet not so favorite stories). Twenty two years old and fresh out of Bible college I was a man on a mission. This is the countdown that everyone talks about. This is the moment people can't wait for. My transition was easy so I felt pretty good about it. Many parents did not. I can understand. I was young and single. Who in their right mind would want that around their child? Marriage does have it's benefits. It felt like I was filling a position. Others did too. Eventually they would find "the real" youth pastor and I would move on. And then it happened.
As we were driving to Colorado for Summer Camp and Desperation, one of the 11 vans we had was pinched by two semis, clipped and sent flipping into the median. The van in front saw this happening and pulled over to the side being rear ended by the other semi. Down the street from your house this is bad news. In the middle of Kansas (or nowhere depending on how you look at it), it's really bad news. I looked to my rear view mirror and could see teenagers running across I-70. The van that flipped had moms in it. The van that was rear ended had family. I did what only I could think of. Open the door and start running. I was running, faster than I ever had before. Forrest Gump and Bullseye had nothing on this. I covered a mile in no time. As I got there, everyone was safe. Talk about a miracle. A couple of semis and a couple of tumbles could have gone a lot worse.
As I ran up, I got the look. It's indescribable. Everyone who had been going through the motions was now looking and me and asking, without saying a word "what do we do?" We had 70 people with us. Teenagers can't hang out on the side of the road. The police had arrived and we didn't need more bodies. A couple of sons almost got into a fight with irrate truck driver (he could have killed their mom and he was being a real jerk about it). It was getting out of hand quickly. I won't bore you with the details but all was well. We got the students to camp (through some shifting and moving). I spent the night getting a new van (which I drove 4 hours out of the way for) and arriving to my house (1.5 hrs short) at 3 in the morning. I got a couple hours rest (literally), made it to camp and the rest went off without a hitch. At least it felt that way because how could anything be worse.
I can't tell you what "the look" is like. It's indescribable. It's in that moment you find what you are made. You figure out who you are. You know that you are called. A lot of people clamor for visibility. It's desirable to be in front, have people know you and all the yada yada yada that comes with what we do. That's not why we signed up. We are called to be shepherds. We have our time with the sheep but we are also fighting of lions and bears. Most people like the sheep part. Especially when it gives you a microphone and a captive audience. No one likes the lions and bears. However, it's the shepherd that steps up and deals with it.
I hope this does not come arrogantly. I don't look at my position and think of the joys of hoarding. I do know what's it like when people see you as the leader and it's time to act. It's in those moments that you can't take a timeout to pray. You can't freeze time and accidents to ask of the LORD. You've have to have prayed for guidance and direction already! That's the in season and out of season. The middle of Kansas wasn't calling me as a place of issues. It just happened and away we went. If you're a leader and are struggling with getting "the look", don't worry it will come. There will be a moment when all others who think you shouldn't be there, aren't qualified or they would do a better job step back and it's all you. Be ready. Be prepared. Both mentally and spiritually. You are called.
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Now playing: Hillsong United - Lead Me To The Cross
