how often in life...

How often in life do we find ourselves sitting on what we think is a gold-mine of goodness, only to have others not see the potential? Some days, that's really how I feel about OTTS Garage or HYPE youth group. But my word! I need to remember I've been here for only a month, and that the Lord has plans and powers beyond anything I could hope for!

I think this is really what I need to be guarding against. OTTS Garage, the youth center that I manage, is a fantastic opportunity to reach students with the love of Christ. It's open daily from 2-5, and there's a ton of fun things that kids can do when they're here. But we have an average of about 5 kids a day. That doesn't mesh with my vision of effectiveness. I'm dreaming to see 150 students in here on a weekday... there could be so much fun! But I also view OTTS as a funnel to grab new students to attend the Wednesday night HYPE youth group.

But here's the thing. I really need to make sure I'm not judging my effectiveness by the expectations I have set for ministry. I feel like I keep writing the same thing in these posts: trust in the Lord, and let him do his thing. But it's such a hard concept to get my mind around, and it's so easy to start saying, "I'm not going enough, or this just isn't going the way I wanted it to!" Some days, I feel like throwing up my arms and giving up.

That might be a little melodramatic.

But the reality still remains: change takes a long time. Paul's analogy of planting and watering a seed reminds me of the longevity of ministry: I wouldn't sit and watch grass grow, making sure it's doing everything correctly. I act in faithfulness, watering and fertilizing the seed and then believing it will grow. In the same way, I need to act in faithfulness in ministry; I faithfully fertilize and water and PRAY and then I trust. God will accomplish his good and perfect purposes through my frailty... and I pray that if his will for me is that I bring one student only a little closer to him, then I would be content in his purpose.

His will be done.

As my good friend Steve says (or all of Woodlands Youth Ministry, apparently): "WE PRAY."