All things to all people

All things to all people

It’s hard to be all things to all people when you are working with youth. Not all parents appreciate the same things or the same formats. Some people, in an effort to be “Helpful” will tell you all the things they think you are doing wrong.

Sometimes they are right and you must change your outlook, routine or structure to account for it. For those people, I say BLESS YOU! Feedback serves to make you stronger and improve the quality of what you are doing in your ministry.

Sometimes they aren’t though. Sometimes they are mean in their well meaning.When you take someone’s advice to heart when they may mean well, but don’t see the whole picture or carry your vision, all it serves to do is undermine your self-esteem or confidence.

Lets, just say that I had a very rough weekend. One that made me want to turn tail, runaway and hide inside myself. I was crushed, working my way into a full blown, wallow-in-it, full-bodied depression. I went home from church, and sat staring into space until I had to nap … my soul felt too heavy for my body and I retreated into sleep for anesthesia.

The funny thing is that what brought me “out of it” was talking to the other youth leaders in my Jr. High group. We needed to reinforce with each other that we aren’t perfect, we are still learning, and yes, we had room for improvement. Always, this will be true. What ever else though, we also needed to remember that letting those comments sink in too far would cripple our confidence and ability to lead. Second-guessing yourself for everything simply is defeating and counter productive.

So, I pick up my feet, put my foot down, and move forward. Praying the whole time, that I am able to let God be seen through my faults and shortcomings. I am not perfect, I fail, I fall down. But God gets the glory, because darn it, that’s why I need him so much in the first place. I will never be perfect enough, pretty enough, strong or smart enough to do all the things set before me.