I am a life-r. Yep, that's me

So this Sunday is the Sunday that honors the Baptism of Jesus.  It was this Sunday, 10 years ago that I officially started work as a youth director.  That sounds so weird to say.

I remember sitting at my first youth director conference thing and they would go around and ask how long people had been in youth ministry.  I was down at the bottom of the numbers, 2 months.  I remember thinking people must be crazy to stay in youth ministry 10 years.  That was an unattainable goal in my mind.  That was a very long time.

Now I sit in that category.  That is weird.  That is cool.  That is still somewhat awkward to comprehend.

When I was in the 2nd grade, I wanted to be an orthodontist.  I knew I wanted to go to Baylor.  I knew what courses I would need to take to attain my goal of being an orthodontist.  There was no doubt in my mind.

When I was in 5th grade I had a mind blowing camping ministry experience that charted me on a different course.  It was a course that I did not accept or understand til college, but God kept tapping me on the shoulder.  I didn't listen though because I wanted to be an orthodontist.

When I started college, I was going to be an orthodontist.  That was it.  Quickly, I started to feel that little "God tap" on my shoulder reminding me that there was a different calling.  I just kept saying, "God, you do not know what you are talking about.  I am going to be an orthodontist and THAT IS THAT.  There is no changing my mind."

I laugh at those little God talks now.  I laugh at all the times I REALIZED what I was supposed to be doing and laughed it off.  I had my goals set and I am pretty headstrong.  The second semester of my freshman year, I was no longer going to be an orthodontist.  I was majoring in Theology and never looked back.

I still didn't know the "WHAT" in theology that I wanted to do.  That took me quite awhile.  I realized youth ministry was my calling when I was sitting on my front porch, crying and wailing and yelling at God because my dog died.  It was my emotional meltdown sitting on my porch in Kingsbury Texas that somehow sent me to this AWESOME road that I have now been on and am proud to have walked.

I feel called to work with youth and families in my church now more than ever.  I love to teach them about prayer and devotion.  I love to laugh and cry with them when drama happens.  I love everything that goes with this ministry -- the good, bad and sometimes ugly.

I giggle at the thought that I was so headstrong about being an orthodontist.  I giggle that for so long, God was yelling at me -- not just calling -- but yelling.  I didn't want to listen, I knew what I was supposed to do.  BOY WAS I WRONG!!!

AMEN