Adventures in Serving the Lord...
Why, oh why was there no disclaimer on the paperwork I filled out when I volunteered to help with the youth group at my church? You know something like:
WARNING: WORKING WITH TEENAGERS MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH
In my naivete, I thought it would be easy. After all, I'm not so far removed from those teenage years myself. I pictured my husband and I as the young cool couple that the kids would just naturally gravitate towards.
Him, maybe. Me, not so much.
Do you know how hard it is to engage a teenage girl in conversation? Or the evil look you get when you didn't notice the new haircut? I am constantly worrying if my clothes are cool enough. I feel like I'm back in high school again!
I guess maybe now they're coming around and warming up to me. Slowly. Very slowly.
I have done things as a youth leader that I had never pictured myself doing. I've tried to keep track of a group of boys at night on the streets of downtown Indianapolis begging them not to get ahead of the group, terrified what would happen if I lost one. Now I know why my youth leaders were constantly counting heads.
I spent an evening at an event that was four hours of dodgeball. FOUR HOURS! The game that I dreaded every day of my elementary years. Memories of standing in a corner, an easy target that could barely get a ball over to the other side, getting pelted by all the older boys who never hesitated to send me to "jail," came flooding back through those four hours of a sport I absolutely hate.
I've sat through several awkward talks of God's plan for an intimate physical relationship to be only within marriage that made me blush. And I've tried to appropriately answer the questions that follow! ("Ask your parents that one!")
Most recently, when my husband and I taught a lesson on fear and had our own little "Fear Factor" competition, I cleaned up vomit. I didn't even know that 14 year old kids still threw up! (I mean, outside of having the flu.) Maybe it was a little of our own fault. Eating Spam out of a dog food can might make my stomach turn too, but I promise, he was a volunteer. And the trash can was just right behind him...
And I've only been at this 6 months!
Yep, there have been moments working with the youth group that have been moments where I have felt the most out of place, out of my element, completely unqualified, and clueless about what to do than any other moment in my life.
And I've loved every minute of it.
Emily
WARNING: WORKING WITH TEENAGERS MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH
In my naivete, I thought it would be easy. After all, I'm not so far removed from those teenage years myself. I pictured my husband and I as the young cool couple that the kids would just naturally gravitate towards.
Him, maybe. Me, not so much.
Do you know how hard it is to engage a teenage girl in conversation? Or the evil look you get when you didn't notice the new haircut? I am constantly worrying if my clothes are cool enough. I feel like I'm back in high school again!
I guess maybe now they're coming around and warming up to me. Slowly. Very slowly.
I have done things as a youth leader that I had never pictured myself doing. I've tried to keep track of a group of boys at night on the streets of downtown Indianapolis begging them not to get ahead of the group, terrified what would happen if I lost one. Now I know why my youth leaders were constantly counting heads.
I spent an evening at an event that was four hours of dodgeball. FOUR HOURS! The game that I dreaded every day of my elementary years. Memories of standing in a corner, an easy target that could barely get a ball over to the other side, getting pelted by all the older boys who never hesitated to send me to "jail," came flooding back through those four hours of a sport I absolutely hate.
I've sat through several awkward talks of God's plan for an intimate physical relationship to be only within marriage that made me blush. And I've tried to appropriately answer the questions that follow! ("Ask your parents that one!")
Most recently, when my husband and I taught a lesson on fear and had our own little "Fear Factor" competition, I cleaned up vomit. I didn't even know that 14 year old kids still threw up! (I mean, outside of having the flu.) Maybe it was a little of our own fault. Eating Spam out of a dog food can might make my stomach turn too, but I promise, he was a volunteer. And the trash can was just right behind him...
And I've only been at this 6 months!
Yep, there have been moments working with the youth group that have been moments where I have felt the most out of place, out of my element, completely unqualified, and clueless about what to do than any other moment in my life.
And I've loved every minute of it.
Emily
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