Chris' prayer: Jars of Clay's "I'm Alright"

I've never been the saint you wanted me to turn to

One of the things I struggle with the most as a youth minister is when teens don't buy into what is going on, when they don't invest themselves into the event or activity. The other night, for instance, we were having open gym and playing dodgeball when some of the upperclassmen decided that goofing off and playing dodgeball was beneath them. In fact, they would rather not even be there than sit and watch what was going on, leaving me and the underclassmen. As they left, one of them looked at me, and gave me this glance that said, "Heh. Have fun with whatever that is, going on over there." They wanted no part of it.

It bothers me because buying into what is going on is so important for the benefit of everyone. If these upperclassmen think it is okay to be too good for an activity, then they are showing tomorrow's upperclassmen that they can be, too. But if everyone buys into what we're doing, we can all have fun.

It is these times when I have to remind myself that these teens are who they are. They aren't who I want them to be, or who I expect them to be, or who I'd like them to be. They are who they are and they will do the things they do. Sometimes, their choices may disappoint me, but they are their choices, and sometimes they aren't going to make the mature, responsible, good-for-everyone choice.

And I can't see the view from the eyes you look at me through

And once I'm able to remind myself that they are who they are- that is, that they are a child of God- I can get back to loving them for who they are. I can return to looking at them through the eyes of Jesus, who loves them without fail.


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