Friday, September 26, 2008

The funny green line

So, the youth ministry video is done.  I've had some good feedback already from everyone who has seen it.  I pray that it will serve as a reminder to everyone about the beauty of God's mercy, that's He's always calling us and giving us the choice to enter into it.  And hopefully, it will inspire generosity of time and money, of which I can use large helpings of both.

As I said in my last post, I am most definitely an amateur editor.  Because of this, I cannot figure out why there is a silly little green line at the bottom of the screen that appears and disappears.  I hope no one minds.  It will certainly bug the technologically inclined.

Now, this funny green line has pointed me to something else.

My friend in ministry Marko blogged today about how inadequate, unprepared and unqualified he feels sometimes in his role as the president of a youth ministry resource company.  He called himself a "poser".  He's a junior high youth pastor at heart, not someone who can talk easily about financial projections, strategic plans or collaborative partnerships with business people.

And, boy, did that just hit the green line on the head for me.  For all of my professional experience, I love to do ministry.  I love the life of ministry.  I love how ministry has brought me closer to God.  I really have no idea how to remove the green line from a video or raise money or lead a group of people or administrate this ministry.  I'm not saying that I'm down on myself.  I'm stating a truth that I've known about myself for a long time, yet was afraid to admit because, like Marko, people would see me as a "poser" too.

I've had this feeling for the better part of my ministry career. And, let me tell you, it kinda sucks. And yet, that feeling forces me to spend more time on my knees in submission to His will.

Youth workers (and everyone involved in ministry) almost has to have this feeling of inadequacy to keep us humble. I don’t know about you, but it is certainly a huge challenge to stay humble when doing the Lord’s work.

I wrote in another post that the thing that keeps us out of trouble is humility…recognizing who we are, who we are not, and why God loves us so abundantly because of that!

Now, please don't misunderstand me.  This is not my attempt at getting any sympathy or positive affirmation.  

It's just that the green line reminded me that God fills my incompleteness in ways that I can never imagine possible.  I hope no one minds...

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