Before They Leave the Nest

Today I find myself in an emotional state. I'm tired because I didn't sleep well last night and I started my morning off grumpy and frustrated. I knew that something had to change when my Pastor asked how I was this morning. I can't spend today biting people's heads off. So I went to Bible Study. A group of our women meet every Wednesday morning and I have never met with them. I have never felt like I had the time to spare on my craziest day of the week. Now I realize how stupid I was being. I didn't feel like I had time for fellowship and study of the Bible? What kind of youth pastor am I?

Well it hit me really hard during this study time, and it has been on my heart for awhile, but it is starting to get really heavy. I have five seniors graduating this semester. I have just a few weeks left with them before they leave the nest. I can only imagine how parents feel during this time, I'm just their youth pastor and I'm already emotional at the thought of them being gone. But more than them no longer being in my ministry, what is it that they need from me before they leave the nest.

I had a plan figured out for this semester and then the closer we got to today the more I knew that wasn't what I wanted to teach. Just like a pastor giving a sermon each week, that is how my teaching time is on Wednesday nights. I've been here for three years, and this is my first batch of kids leaving the nest. And now I'm wondering, have I really done my job? Do they get it? Are they ready? Because ready or not this is the last semester.

Have they discovered a life defining faith?

Are they ready to be in a world where they have to make all of their own decisions and accept the consequences for these decisions?

What is their faith life going to be like? What is their faith life like?

But as I take a deep breath and push the tears away I know, that I have to give this fear to God. And then open myself  to whatever it is he wants me to give them before they go.

Honestly though I should feel this kind of weight every week. Because this may be the last semester with these boys but God's timing is not ours and I have no idea if tonight might be the last night I have a kid in my group. God could take them home, they could move, or they quit coming. I should treat every night like its the last one. Planning their lessons and time should not just be something on my to do list. These kids are the church and their time here is important. This is a life or death situation.

If I really love these kids this much then they need to move to the top of my priority list. If they aren't at the top of mine the who is putting them at the top?

My job is to show them Christ, and help them cultivate a relationship with Him. A rock solid relationship that can stand up to the storms of life, and then I have to remember they have the choice rather or not to live this way. My call in life is to do all of this before they leave the nest, whenever that may be.