Did you know that I have a job??? As of January 1st, I am the Youth Coordinator for a Parish of seven Churches. I am mostly responsible for organizing, coordinating and communicating all the extra, fun stuff to help the youth connected to our Parish grow in their faith. It's a little weird receiving a paycheck for the first time in almost 8 years and I hardly feel like it's work.
Yesterday I felt the lives and worlds of some of the youth I serve (and some who I don't) resting heavily on my shoulders.
Life is tough for some kids and it breaks my heart; some of the kids just say things that make me worry as if I'm their mom and I want to lecture them; some of the kids I want to scoop up and put into a bubble.
All I could think of to do was pray. It all felt too overwhelming to do anything else.
This morning I opened my daily piece of scripture that gets sent to my email inbox. It was from John 13:35 (NLT) and said,
"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
As Little Dude was falling asleep for nap time today, I opened up the Bible that I have been reading. It is The Message Remix Pause. It matches up one Old Testament reading and one New Testament reading each day and can get you through the Bible in a year if you are diligent about your reading.
Guess what part of today's reading was???
Yup!
John 13:35
When scripture pops up more than once in a week I usually figure I'm suppose to pay attention to it. Today it popped up twice. The Message translation says,
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."
I read it again trying to figure out what God was trying to say to me
And then it dawned on me....
All I have to do is love them.
I don't need to fix all of their problems. I don't need to plan fantastic lessons. I don't need to micro manage their faith walk. I just need to LOVE THEM where they are and for who they are in the same way Jesus has been loving me all along.
God will take care of the rest.
Then a little tune popped into my head....
"All you need is love,
All you need is love,
All you need is love, love is all you need"
Yesterday I felt the lives and worlds of some of the youth I serve (and some who I don't) resting heavily on my shoulders.
Life is tough for some kids and it breaks my heart; some of the kids just say things that make me worry as if I'm their mom and I want to lecture them; some of the kids I want to scoop up and put into a bubble.
All I could think of to do was pray. It all felt too overwhelming to do anything else.
This morning I opened my daily piece of scripture that gets sent to my email inbox. It was from John 13:35 (NLT) and said,
"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
As Little Dude was falling asleep for nap time today, I opened up the Bible that I have been reading. It is The Message Remix Pause. It matches up one Old Testament reading and one New Testament reading each day and can get you through the Bible in a year if you are diligent about your reading.
Guess what part of today's reading was???
Yup!
John 13:35
When scripture pops up more than once in a week I usually figure I'm suppose to pay attention to it. Today it popped up twice. The Message translation says,
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."
I read it again trying to figure out what God was trying to say to me
And then it dawned on me....
All I have to do is love them.
I don't need to fix all of their problems. I don't need to plan fantastic lessons. I don't need to micro manage their faith walk. I just need to LOVE THEM where they are and for who they are in the same way Jesus has been loving me all along.
God will take care of the rest.
Then a little tune popped into my head....
"All you need is love,
All you need is love,
All you need is love, love is all you need"
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