Knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what God wants you to do with the rest of your life as a ministry is really exciting. If you aren't at that place yet then I truly and earnestly pray that God will take you there at some point. It's thrilling. I don't mean being in a place where you know exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, and what it will look like. I hate to disappoint, but that won't happen. That isn't how God works and, to be totally honest, I love that. It is terrifying, but it forces us to fully trust and realize that we serve a God that will give us precisely what we need precisely when we need it, whether we think that it's what we need or not. Our willingness to allow God to fully control our life will lead to more blessings than we could ever imagine.
I'm in that place now. I know a lot of people will doubt when I say that and come back with a "you're too young to REALLY know" or "you have plenty of time. Explore a little bit!" and I can understand where those people are coming from. I am young. I'm only twenty years old, how could I possibly know what I'm meant to do for the rest of my life? That's crazy. That's also God's hand in my life.
Now, anyone who knows me at all, or has spent even five minutes talking to me, know what God's will is for me because I openly and gladly share it with anyone willing to ask and genuinely listen to my response. I love talking about it. That's one thing that is so amazing about being sure of God's plan and work in your life. You want to share it with anyone and everyone. I could literally talk about how God has worked and is working in my life for hours and not get tired of it. The same can't be said for whoever I may be talking to, unless they have seen first hand the fruits of it in my life. Just in case you don't know, I want to work with middle school students. I don't know what that is going to look like. I might be teaching in a school. I might be working at a church. I might work with a traveling ministry. I might start a ministry of my own. (That last one is laying really heavy on my heart, but that's another topic entirely). However that is manifested in my life, I have no doubt that it is God's will for me. That's where my heart is. That is what literally every aspect of my life somehow connects with. Middle School students are my mission field and I am completely thrilled with that fact. Everyone else I speak to does not share the same enthusiasm.
Typically, when I tell people what I want to do I get one of two responses. First, I am greeted with heart warming, wonderful enthusiasm. This usually includes something along the lines of "That is so GREAT!! God will use you there. I'm so happy for you!" and I live for those responses. The other response I get is a sort of hesitant, reluctant "Oh, bless your heart. That is going to be TOUGH. Good luck with that!". I know that the people who respond that way have no intention of being rude, and I truly can't fault them for t, but I also don't think that they realize how heartbreaking that kind of response is. Obviously it is hurtful to me personally because that is what my heart is passionate about and they unintentionally treat it like it isn't worthy, but that isn't the most prominent reason that it breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because that kind of response tells me that people view middle school STUDENTS as not worthy. I understand that middle school is a difficult age. Believe me, I have had plenty of first hand experience with just how difficult dealing with middle school students can be, but that doesn't mean that we should shy away from those kids. That's the last thing that they need. Middle school is difficult enough as it is without being treated like a pesky little problem that will hopefully fade away if it isn't paid too much attention. I firmly believe that middle school aged students are facing one of the most difficult transitions of their lives. They want so badly to be treated like adults, but at the same time they are still very much children. They are given more freedom at school, but not at home. They are fighting to figure out who they are, who they can trust and call a friend, and who they need to steer clear of. Obviously, they won't figure all of this out right away, but that's all the more reason for them to have someone there for when they mess up and fall down.
That's what God has put on my heart. I want to be a person who can be there for these kids in whatever capacity they need. If they need encouragement then I pray that God will give me the words that they need to hear. If they need a shoulder to cry on then I pray that God will give me the strength to be there and help bear whatever burden they are carrying. If they need discipline then I pray that God will give me the solidarity and mindset to discipline them from a place of love and use the time as a teaching tool. My daily prayer is that I am willing to be used by God in whatever way HE needs because that will serve the students best.
Another reason that the second response breaks my heart is because it sells those students short. The flippancy with which middle school students are so often addressed is infuriating. I will be the first to admit that middle school students are often frustrating and difficult to work with, but that is precisely WHY I love working with them. How can we possibly help them grow into the respectable, Godly adults that they can be if we only view them as silly, difficult children who are too frustrating to work with? That's simple. We won't. It won't be easy to deal with the students and sometimes they will make you want to pull your hair out, but I promise you, with everything that I have in me, that it WILL be worth it. I have stood on a stage in front of over 100 middle school students and watched them pour their hearts out in worship to the God that placed me in their lives. I have sat in a room full of eighth grade girls and listened to them discuss the scripture lesson and apply it to their lives in ways that I never would have. I have laughed and cried with middle school students who view the world in a way so much deeper than I would have thought they could have. Once they realize that they have someone who believes in them wholeheartedly and will support and love them no matter what they have blossomed. If you are reading this and you have ever thought of middle school students as simple, silly, difficult children I only have one request. Please rethink that. Please do not sell those kids short. Spend some time with them. Get to know them. Listen to them. Really, truly take the time to listen to what they have to say. Give them a chance to reach their full potential. Support their ideas, no matter how crazy they might seem to you. Love them with everything you have and watch them blossom. I promise that God will surprise you.
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