It Isn't Supposed to Be Convenient

This weekend was an inconvenience!  Harper joined the church youth group for the first (of hopefully many) Serve Saturdays.  He woke up early on a rainy, chilly Saturday morning to go pick up trash around Lake Parker.  How convenient it would've been to stay curled up, in bed, or in front of the fire, in comfy pajamas!  Instead, he rolled out of bed (albeit reluctantly), got dressed and served.  And, according to the pictures, he even had a smile on his face!  

Then Sunday, Warren participated in Fine Arts Sunday at church.  He was kind of "voluntold" that he would play congas for the Youth Choir and Kids Praise....as they both needed percussion.  It was a long morning, for sure.  He was there by 7:30, played in four services....then attended a meeting for his summer mission trip to Alaska.  And, at 1:00, we left to go to lunch.  

Saturday morning, as the youth group circled around to pray before they headed out, our Director of Missions Ministry, Forrest White, shared a few words that stayed with me long after the group prayer.  After he thanked them and told them he was proud of them for showing up, he told them that "Mission work isn't supposed to be convenient.  It isn't supposed to be easy.  You never know the difference you'll make in someone's life."  He talked with the kids about his belief that God is in every moment of mission work.  "Besides cleaning up the environment, it might be that God put you there to offer someone a smile as you're walking by.  And maybe that smile turns that person's day around." 

I've thought about Forrest's words...since he said them.  As we drove home today, we talked about the boys' weekend and the service they participated in.  We told them how proud we were of them. Warren even said he thought he might like to drum with the Youth Praise Band, on Youth Sunday, but he felt like the rehearsals were "just too much" on Sundays before Youth Group.  Since he wasn't a part of the prayer circle Saturday morning, I shared Forrest's words with him.  I told him that "service isn't supposed to be convenient."  But, it's in the inconvenience that we find the sacrifice to further God's work.  

1 Peter 4:10 says "Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others."  I'm proud of our boys.  I'm proud of our church.  I'm proud to be a part of a church that provides opportunities for our youth to serve and learn to appreciate the inconvenience as they use their gifts to serve others.