Being Present is a Gift
When my son was much younger, he was on a kick to share a lot of random facts. These tidbits of information were often given at random times as well so it always took me a moment to understand what was being said. It’s not that I didn’t care about my child. I really do love him. It’s that I didn’t care about what random fact he was sharing. Because there were just. So. Many.
I tried my best to engage and even found myself losing a bet or two when I challenged his fact. Now, even though I say I didn’t care, deep down I loved it. How do I know? That random fact era has passed and I’m surprised that I miss it. He’s growing up and getting all teenage-ish on me. I find myself missing the ‘good ol’ days’.
There’s an important lesson in that - trying to stay present, even when things aren’t always neat and tidy… or peaceful and quiet. You are in the midst of a lot of noise. Ministry work with kids is loud and noisy work. There are constant distractions! Perhaps there’s one in the group that tends to draw the most attention. Perhaps there’s one that requires so much extra patience. Perhaps there’s one who is still so very shy even after you’ve tried your best to create a welcoming space.
The children I first taught are now in senior high. They are almost adults and the world is eager to absorb them into its ways. I miss having them because I know now how short my time with them was. Even though the Sunday mornings and mid-week programs seemed long at the time, the years really do fly by. I pray that the work our team did brought honour and glory to God. I pray that the lessons taught were Christ-centred and that they fell into good soil. I pray that they are armoured enough.
This is our encouragement for you today - take time to be present with the child(ren) you have. Just like you, they too are experiencing a lot of chaos and distraction. There is so much that tempts them. There is so much that is eager to drag them away from Christ. You have been called into this ministry and God will give you all you need! So when you’re feeling distracted or simply longing for some quiet, know that your work is vital to these children.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we really do need peace and quiet! Just be encouraged that each moment you spend in your ministry makes a powerful impact on those who are blessed by it. You might not see it that day. But you might just be surprised how much you miss it when your time with the group has passed.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”