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29 February 20086:28 PM

Waiting and waiting and waiting

Half of my afternoon at work today: sitting in a coffee shop, knitting while reading some serious, hardcore theology to prepare for next week’s sermon.

I should be happy about this, right? It sounds like the idyllic life of a pastor.

But again (see my previous post), I’m questioning whether this “counted”.

One of the local high schools had a threat of violence today, and so, trying to be a good youth pastor, I let my kids know, via facebook, that I’d be in a local coffee shop for an hour and a half if they needed to stop by and chat about their day.

No one showed up. Either: they’re resilient; they didn’t want to come; they didn’t get the message; whatever.

I’m going to savor the 90 minutes I did have with the theology book.

But it got me thinking about how much of this youth ministry thing is about waiting. (This probably applies to all ministry.) You have to spend time waiting, being accessible, waiting, taking small steps, and waiting for the time when the relationships are deeply and truly there. I have never been one who can aggressively form relationships. I think they take time, happenstance, and the hand of God to form. I can’t force them in my personal life, and I can’t force them in my pastoral life.

In the meantime, I have to wait.

Did that time count? Yes, because part of what I am called to do is to wait.

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3 Responses to “Waiting and waiting and waiting”

  1. Teri Says:

    I SOOOOO feel that.
    :-)

    1 March 2008 at 12:42 am

  2. ms rev or not Says:

    for what it’s worth, counts in my book.

    4 March 2008 at 8:57 pm

  3. Susan Says:

    Thanks for sharing. It’s a good reminder to me as I struggle to wait in my ministry both with the students I serve and in my own vocation path.

    5 March 2008 at 8:58 am