Sweet Sweet Voice

Sometimes in ministry, but always in student ministry, things just pop up. Even the most smallest of things like a simple ripple in a lake can cause a MAJOR tidelwave before it's conclusion. Once, you are in student ministry, you never seem to leave it. You do have periods
where things seem to be tranquil and then "stuff" just seems to happen. Like the hospitalization of a close uncle to a former student where the ill Uncle does not have a relationship with Christ, and the once quiet cell phone comes to life with a birage of text messages. "What do I do, What can I say, I've never had anyone close die before, This is sad", seem to flow like a river. That plus many other issues in students lives just seem to swell lately into a whirlwind of issues. So I start to wonder, why am I being contacted instead of their own youth pastor at the church they attend now. Am I the only name they have in their cell phone? I have wanted for YEARS, to ask that question. So this time I did that very thing, I asked them, why? The answer I got was not what I expected. So I guess you want to know what that answer was, right? Well their answer was, "You know everything". I stopped them and immediately corrected that answer. So then they gave me a humbling answer. The next reply was "Well, I see your point, but everytime I have ever contacted you TC, you were always there when I needed you and you have always, always given me the right answer, so that's why I keep calling you. My student pastor is good and all but sometimes He just doesn't understand me and you do and I know you care. I wish I could come to where you are now but my mom tells me we have to go to our church".

So I was kinda speechless for a bit and extremely humbled in the process.

Then comes the really unexpected situations that takes your breathe away and stops your heart and you are swept away into the dark night, (which is a completely other blog one day). So even with the best of our intentions and as hard as we try, sometimes Jesus is still the only absolute thing that there is. I say that because I prayed for a long time for one certain student last night and just when I least expected it, a clear message came thru. "Rest in me" WOW. I have received that before and I was quickly reminded of Jesus ' words of making our burdens light.

So with all that being said I am still trying to shift gears into a college/career only ministry. But, it ain't werkin' to good. How do some people just walk away and not be being available for God's students, come on now. All I know is that I am glad God is continuing to use me and not just throw me over in the ditch. God is good and I am still playing catch up.

till next time
peace
tc
Romans 5:1