The Kind of Problems I've Always Wanted!

There are some days in youth ministry, and I suppose ministry in general, where you just don't feel all the useful to God and God's Kingdom.  And there are days where I feel pretty useful BUT it was all in the way of planning or organizing and there was little to no meaningful people interaction.  But the days where I get in bed, close my eyes, and feel like I did exactly what God gave me to do are most often the days in which I spend time talking w/ people about their problems, sometime their problems w/ me!  

Now, I have "prepared" for a life in full-time ministry more or less for the last seven years.  Lots of school, studying, and internships.  During a lot of that time I made a living and took care of my family by working a variety of different jobs.  Two of the more notable ones involved working while most normal people sleep.  And during those days it wasn't always easy and part of what made it difficult was that the day-to-day job stress was regarding stuff that I just really didn't care about.  For example, while I was a supervisor @ UPS I was screamed at nightly and told that I really need to make the people I was in charge do more work, in less time, w/ fewer people than were needed to get the job done, for about $8/hr.  

NOT the problems I wanted to have at work.  

But twice this week I had the opportunity to sit and listen and talk w/ people about what were  real problems.  But all the while I could not help but feel a deep gratitude that I was getting to be a part of these peoples lives and to be invited into places of hurt and doubt and to walk w/ them through this.  I don't think we solved any problems this week, but I am right smack in the middle of the kind of problems I've always wanted to be a part of... and I'm grateful!