The Things That Shape Us

Have you ever made something out of clay?  Have you ever taken something and re-shaped it with your hands?  It's kind of a foreign experience the first time you do it.  And if you are like me the only time you were the "potter" shaping the clay was when your 7th grade Art Teacher made you do it for a grade.


Recently, my dad - started cleaning his house of all the random things I made when I was a child.  He showed me this sculpture I made - and it got me thinking about all the different ways we get molded and shaped throughout our lives.
__
When people ask me what it’s like to work with Jr. & Sr. High students it’s really hard to explain.  Most people think it’s tough, and it can be.  Most people think it is a lot of work, and it is.  Many people wonder how someone can pour so much of themselves into students and still have enough to make it through each day.  Those things can be true, but there is a side of Student Ministry that many people never see.

It’s the side that makes me say that I am excited each and everyday to be with students.  It’s the side that is revealed each week as I try to teach students and instead they teach me.  It’s the side that watches them pour themselves out for one another.   It's the side that sees them teaching the adults what it means to explore and wrestle with their faith.   It is the side that most people don’t get to see.

I can remember growing up in my home church and having so many caring adults involved in our youth program.  I can remember the difference they made on my life, and how they shaped me.  And it is just now in my journey where I am realizing that maybe I helped shape them a little too.

I will be honest with you, our youth program is booming.  Each week our events are well attended, have high energy, and continue to grow.  God is doing something special here.  We also have a great number of adults helping and everything is going really well.  And the beautiful thing to me is that students aren’t coming to be entertained, they are coming to be shaped.  Our focus is on God’s word.  It is so encouraging to me to know that students are being shaped by digging into God’s word and being shaped by doing it together.

 

Isaiah (64:8) reminds us, "you, Lord are our Father.  we are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands."  He is using all kinds of experiences and opportunities to shape each and everyone of us.  And many times He uses the ones we "serve" to shape us and teach us and help us become who He wants us to be.

My question to you is what are you being shaped by?  And who are you shaping?  Or maybe a better way to phrase it is what is your life about?  Or what is your story about?

If you are looking for a way to make a big difference, or maybe a way to make a small contribution I encourage you to give me a call, or shoot me an e-mail.  There are so many ways to get involved in the lives of our students.  And wouldn’t be great to be able to say, hey I was part of that …

I was part of shaping the future ….

It’s my prayer that each one of us would be shaped by the way that we give back, knowing that even in our serving others the great "Potter" will find a way to continue to shape and mold us more into His image.