I was walking through my local Target, watching them stock the shelves with all the school supplies needed for the next season of the year, and I couldn't help but feel like this season was already drawing to its close.
I didn't have enough time! How could this season already be ending? I haven't made the impact that I set out to make in this time! I haven't done all that I wanted to do.
Is anyone else in this moment of panic or is it just me?
As I try to focus the blur of the last few weeks of summer and tighten my mind on the upcoming season of fall and a new ministry year, I can't help but bring back to my view the opportunity of impact that we have with the privilage to be in young people's lives. The whirlwind of summer, admittedly, left me asking the question, is what I am doing worth it?
God had a definite answer for me this last week.
Last weekend we had our outdoor Baptism service and as I stood waiting for the first young person to be baptized, I whispered a prayer for them. However, God wanted me to see what He had for me in this moment.. and I looked up and saw the joy on the parents faces that thier children were making such an important step and declaration in thier life, it became real to me again. It matters! What we do for young people matters.
Story after story during the service, the young people talked about thier VBS teachers or others and the impact they had on them that led to thier decision of wanting to be baptized!
See, it's easy to get caught in the whirlwind of life, work and distraction of time in a way that causes us to so easily miss the meaning of it all! We can miss seeing young people with the eyes of Jesus. We can miss the fact that we GET to pray for young people to find thier IDENTITY in Christ! To BELONG in His church! That they have a PUROPSE in His mission!
““What we do for young people matters! Don’t miss it!””
I almost missed it, caught in the narrow view of my own short time. Thank you Lord, for helping me see that it matters!
If you want to help show young people that they matter by helping to teach them to fall in the love with the Word of God, we are beginning our scheduling of teachers and helpers for the upcoming ministry year and would love to hear from you. Please contact myself (Rhiannon: rrutledge@fiveoakschurch.org) or Cindy (cyarrington@fiveoakschurch.org) to ask for more information about how you can come alongside parents and reach out to thier kids to make a difference in the lives of young people.
~blessings
Rhiannon