One of the ministries I am involved in is to teenagers who are in trouble. These young men and women are usually locked up because of alcohol and/or drug use, running away, or because they are simply in need of supervision and the State does not know what to do with them. As my partner and I meet with them we often ask "What on earth are you doing here?" This does not mean "why are you locked up", it means "what could/should you be doing with your life?" Most of these teens have never considered where life may be leading them and how their choices are effecting their options. We encourage them to keep asking themselves the question "What on earth am I doing here?". We recommend that they take that question to God each and every night before they go to sleep and then spend a few moments in silence - just in case God might want to give them an answer. That way they will (hopefully) make choices that lead them to a life of fulfillment, true freedom and peace.
What about you? What on earth on you doing here? Do you have a sense of purpose and/or vocation in your life? The little tricolor illustration above is a good way to evaluate your self. YOU may have an idea of what you want to do with life - that's the yellow circle. As you consider your own talents and desires you may feel led in a particular direction. The blue circle we will call "other people and circumstances". You may have close friends or family members who advise you or encourage you to choose a certain path. But you must also consider the "circumstances" of your life. Not every path is open to every person due to education, location, skill, talent, etc. The Red circle is God. It can be difficult to hear the "still, small voice" of God in our culture. Prayer and listening is ESSENTIAL! Spend some quality time with God today and make a habit of spending at least 5 minutes with God EVERYDAY. God's advice to us in Scripture is to "be still and know" (Psalm 46). Begin today and allow your Maker to assist you in discerning your calling.
Dear Deacon John great blog and yes working with teems can be a challenge as those of us who have raised children can attest to. I think one of the problems we are having is we are teaching one set of ways at home ( faith, love of others, ethic's etc), but when they are at school they are learning another. It makes it difficult for the parents who are trying to raise their children right. We also dare not forget peer pressure if they do try to live in a way that they accept a person for who he or she is. I know when I was raising my children they seemed to know everything. No matter what I tried to teach them they knew better, because I was just old fashioned. At times even today when they ask me something and I give them the answer, they respond with " Oh Dad it isn't like that anymore". We try to instill a love for Christ in their hearts and lives, but they are the ones who have to accept it, and want to live for him. Do I at times feel like saying to heck with it? Yes, I do, but I know our Lord lives and so I will never give up. I will not give up on my children or anyone else that I meet each and every day. Getting through to the young is difficult, especially if they have issues that they need to deal with. Some you will reach, and some you will not. Isn't that just like anything else we do in the service of the Lord?
ReplyDeleteDeacon Steven A. McLaughlin, Sr.