While checking my week worth of emails yesterday, I read one from a former teenager I taught in Bible study. This precious young lady is now married to a awesome young man (another one of my teenagers) who feels God's call to ministry. They are both still in college but have been serving in a small church in the youth position.
When they first married, I briefly shared with this young lady that sometimes ministry is hard. Sometimes the support is not there and sometimes people can just be mean. The main thing was when those times come that both she and her husband keep their focus on God's call.
Well dear sisters this young couple has hit a brick wall. In short they are experiencing a lack of help from parents and the pastor. They love their youth group and apparently have seen growth. What they need is a few parents willing to step in and help on events. However, because of a rather large children's program, no one is coming forward. As a result and after much prayer on this young couples part, they feel that God is leading them away from this church. They are seeking what God would have them do next.
Ladies, I can tell you that this email is filled with frustration and disappointment. It just breaks my heart to see them facing this difficulty so early in ministry. We all have been in their shoes. I cannot tell you the number of times in our ministry that we have faced the wall. Honestly, sometimes it makes me want to throw up my hands and quit. However, that is what Satan wants. My husband reminds we that we are called to ministry to bring glory to God.
I shared with my dear young sister that she and her husband need to truly seek God and look for opportunities to serve. They need to view this time in ministry as a learning curve. God does not just call us to ministry to throw us to the lions. He promises to walk with us and support even when we do not see Him at the time.
I would like to ask each of you who reads this post to pray for this young couple and their ministry. If you have any words of advice or encouragement for them, feel free to post. In our unique sisterhood we must stand together and support another in the good times and in the difficult times.
2 comments:
Unfortunately, I think too many of us can relate to your dear friend . . . If I could tell her anything, I think I would try to encourage her that God is at work . . . All things work for His glory . . . It is hard to see it now, but God is shaping her and her husband through these experiences to influence their ministries in the long run . . . Keep praying . . . God will make His way clear . . .
Vickie, I am praying for your young friend. This is a perfect example of the tremendous need for more "seasoned" Ministers' Wives to step up and help mentor the younger ones. I'm glad she had you to turn too. Recently, some dear friends of ours had a "Be Still and Know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) time in their ministry. It took a while and they stood strong. Now God has placed them in a place of ministry that they say is "Heavenly." It's all in His plan, but sometimes it is really hard to see, when you're in the middle of the fire.
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