It had been a rough night with our middle school youth. I was talking it through with some of my adult leaders when I had an interesting thought.
Often we want kids who already “get it.” They don’t talk back; they do what we ask them to do, etc. But often when we are interacting with kids like this, we don’t get to see a lot of “improvement.” It is hard for us to see them take spiritual steps forward.
On the other hand we often have a hard time interacting with kids who don’t get it. They are rude, self-focused, and difficult to have around. Yet – when we see growth in them it is almost always obvious. There is a feeling of relief or “wow! They got it.” We get to see them take spiritual steps forward.
So the next time you are with one of “those” kids and you are pulling your hair out, having sweaty palms, and/or your heart rate just went into the stratosphere – STOP. Take a deep breath and remember you have a real opportunity to see God at work. And more amazingly … God is allowing you to see it happen.