Why did I decide to be in ministy? That is the question that I have been asking myself since I started as youth pastor in Menahga a year ago in June. Unfortunatly that answer can today. One of my students just found out that his brain tunor has doubled in size in the last couple weeks. He had it removed alittle over one year ago and discovered it was back about a month ago.
He is going to be having surgery on the 2nd of August to have it removed again. His mom told me tonight that we are basically buying time now. This is a 13 year old! He should not have to deal with that stress! It isn't far, but it is life.
However, the last night of SonShine, I was able to talk to him. That night he accepted Christ! I have never thought of the gospel as something so simple before. Here we are arguing about things like the reasons dancing should be allowed at Crown and what God thinks about drinking. Matt didn't look at the gospel the same way I ever have. He saw it as a VERY PRACTICAL application to his life.
When I began my relationship with Christ, it made me feel good that I was friends with Christ, and someday when I die, I will go to Heaven. Matt looked at me after we prayed and said "I have never felt so close to God." When is the last time we really felt close to God?
I wish that all of you could have seen the relief on the face of Matt. Here is a 13 year old knowing that death is sooner than later, but for the first time he knew what would happen when he died. It doesn't make leaving his family any easier, but it does give some hope.
If you have time, pray for Matt and his family. We will be leaving on Sunday for Storm Camp (local work camp). Pray that he would be safe, but even more importantly pray that he could grown in his relationship with Christ in that week. Also pray that God would use Matt's story to touch the lives of other campers. I am excited about what God is going to do and about the time that I am going to have to spend with Matt.
This situation is by far the most difficult I have had to deal with yet as a youth pastor. It isn't easy listening to a 13 year old tell you how scary it is to know you have cancer in your brain. It isn't easy when he asks you why God allowed this in his life, and it isn't easy when he asks you to pray that it would be removed and so you do, later to find out that instead of being removed it is twice the size as before. Those things are not covered in school or in any text book. Sometimes life isn't simple, infact, sometime life just straight up SUCKS. This is one of those times. No other way to say it.
Chris
He is going to be having surgery on the 2nd of August to have it removed again. His mom told me tonight that we are basically buying time now. This is a 13 year old! He should not have to deal with that stress! It isn't far, but it is life.
However, the last night of SonShine, I was able to talk to him. That night he accepted Christ! I have never thought of the gospel as something so simple before. Here we are arguing about things like the reasons dancing should be allowed at Crown and what God thinks about drinking. Matt didn't look at the gospel the same way I ever have. He saw it as a VERY PRACTICAL application to his life.
When I began my relationship with Christ, it made me feel good that I was friends with Christ, and someday when I die, I will go to Heaven. Matt looked at me after we prayed and said "I have never felt so close to God." When is the last time we really felt close to God?
I wish that all of you could have seen the relief on the face of Matt. Here is a 13 year old knowing that death is sooner than later, but for the first time he knew what would happen when he died. It doesn't make leaving his family any easier, but it does give some hope.
If you have time, pray for Matt and his family. We will be leaving on Sunday for Storm Camp (local work camp). Pray that he would be safe, but even more importantly pray that he could grown in his relationship with Christ in that week. Also pray that God would use Matt's story to touch the lives of other campers. I am excited about what God is going to do and about the time that I am going to have to spend with Matt.
This situation is by far the most difficult I have had to deal with yet as a youth pastor. It isn't easy listening to a 13 year old tell you how scary it is to know you have cancer in your brain. It isn't easy when he asks you why God allowed this in his life, and it isn't easy when he asks you to pray that it would be removed and so you do, later to find out that instead of being removed it is twice the size as before. Those things are not covered in school or in any text book. Sometimes life isn't simple, infact, sometime life just straight up SUCKS. This is one of those times. No other way to say it.
Chris
1 Comments:
wow chris. thank you for sharing about matt. for real. it stopped me. i like choosing when i get "stopped" but apparently, that is not typically the case.
oh just so you know, it was a youth pastors life nad raw honesty that made me really hunger for the reality of jesus.
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jasmine, at 9:38 PM
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