I just recently returned from a week of work camping in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. I was able to witness all the cliches that go along with that as well. Cars on blocks, lots of dogs running around, and even a miniature horse tied up in a yard being used as a lawn mower of sorts.
Personally, I love West Virginia. I love the mountains and the rivers and I love the accents of the people you meet from West Virginia. It was a great setting to spend a week with a small group of students, working side by side at various work sites. The week was full of hard work, but also full of "youth ministry" opportunities that I'd like to take some time to reflect upon, maybe even some with a southern twang...
Teenagers will always, not just sometimes surprise you. I'm always humbled and awed by what a group of teenagers can accomplish during a week away. When I say accomplish, I don't neccessarily mean just in the physical sense. Students say the most insightful things about faith, about life, and about most anything when we get the chance to pull them away from cell phones and their normal routine.
My group surprised me in their work ethic. Everyday at lunch, they were the first to finish up and start working again. While the rest of the "adults" were still relaxing and watching the clock, my boys went back to work.
As far as spoken insight. Here's the nugget from one of my group who is heading to college at the end of the summer. " I'm going to treat college like prison. I'm choosing my friends carefully, not trusting anyone, rarely making eye contact, and definitely not dropping my soap..." Unorthodox, but good advice nonetheless.
Reinforced also this past week was the fact that teenagers value authenticity. Every evening their was a program time. This included a time to share from the teenagers about how they had seen God work throughout the day, praise and worship, and also a main speaker. Our main speaker was a great guy, but he definitely tried too hard at times. He tried to be cool around the teenagers and the reaction from my group was not positive.
I truly believe that teenagers have a very highly attuned "B.S. meter." They can see a fake a mile away. I've learned through the years that I really only have to be myself. They would rather be with an adult who is a little dorky and not afraid to be themselves than one who is trying to act like a teenager. Relationships have to be authentic to be deep. Teenagers know this all too well.
Lastly, (and here comes the twang!) when you hear the banjos--row harder. Deliverence is a great film on so many levels, but if one piece of advice can be applied to youth ministry from that movie, it is that nugget. When things get weird or hard, we have to keep going no matter what.
Youth ministry if full of disappointment, frustrations, and broken hearts. Luckily, it's also full of a lot of joys as well. Those "banjos" will begin playing from time to time, but we need to remember that just up the river is a better place. I've seen so many youth workers give into those negatives and end up being tied to a tree.
What have I learned? Just keep rowing. Don't wallow in those bad happenstances. Embrace the positives and push through those times when things seem bleak.
I'm definitely tired after that long, hard week spent in West Virginia, but I'm also renewed by the Wild and Wonderfulness of it all as well. Between the strumming of the banjos, I'm glad that God can whisper some truths that we all can pick up on.
No comments:
Post a Comment