Rewarding

I don't know very many youth ministers who are excited about summertime.

For most of us, it's busier than the school year. See, for us, there's trips in which we're responsible for kids as we take them to other locales for mission trips or retreats or service projects. These require all sorts of logistics and responsibilities that make for lots of detail oriented work. One guy I work with was talking about how he couldn't stand summer because he's got two trips scheduled and a couple of weddings he's in (he's at that age...well, come to think of it, most youth ministers are that age) and he's just waiting for summer to be over.

I'm in the same boat. I leave on Sunday for a week in Mexico, come back to be in a wedding, home to visit my mom, drop Shelby off at a three-week intensive dance program, back for another wedding, home for a week, off to Holland for three weeks on a mission trip, and, well, then...summer is pretty much over in our community on August 1 since they start school the 14th and all the extracurricular activities get started early.

So, yeah. Yesterday, amidst all the detail work that me and my staff are going through (try getting paperwork from 134 people together, along with all the tools and camping gear and water and food necessary for those same 134 people to camp-out for a week and build roughly 8 homes--well 4 singles homes and 2 double-sized ones--and you'll find yourself waking up at night needing to make that phone call or get that check request signed or whatever) I took a step back to check out the forest. I freely admit I was way too close to the trees.

I got to visit with some graduates of my ministry. They're back from college or whatever and they stop by my office. This, I take to be a good sign.

One was married, living in the Pacific Northwest and happy as a clam. Her husband is coming in next week sometime. We set up a lunch date for all of us to get together.

Another one was filling me in on his career choices...and giving me an update on where he is in his walk.

Another was telling me about an unexpected summer ministry opportunity and their new college they're attending next fall.

A bride-to-be popped in because she was looking over some last-minute details for her wedding. Her fiance bear-hugged me. I tried to bear-hug back but he's bigger than me.

Then it "hit" me:

Those are the reasons that we put up with all the paperwork hassles and cover all the details necessary and plan all the mission trips and make all the bank deposits and keep up with accounting and busy summers and sleeping with a notepad beside the bed so you won't forget to make the phone call.

Because they create "mileage" together. In fact, I've been over 33,000 miles with one of those former teenagers on various youth ministry related endeavors...we counted them up on a plane ride to Holland in 2003. We had time.

Because of that "mileage" we have a relationship. One in which they've encouraged, challenged and even rebuked me, and I'm sharper for it all. I like to think I've returned the favor.

Because of that "mileage" we get to share a life together.

And that's what a church should be.

And my church is.

Today will be busy. Rookie moms will be wondering about flashlights and release forms and bug spray and packing lists. Staff will be popping in and out with various questions and dilemmas and news and such. Receptionists will be asking me about bus times and hotel lists and a host of other things.

But all that will result in an entirely new crop of former students popping in about 7 years from now and reminding me of this lesson all over again.

It's worth it in spades.

I lead a charmed life.