This is the only job I have ever had so I don’t know if everyone else has this same roller coaster of emotions with their work as I do. Youth ministry can mess with your head and your heart if you let it. Like right now I am excited about what is going on in the life of one student, worried about another and sort of confused about a third. At the same time I feel like in some places things are going well and I am making a difference and in just as many places things are falling apart and I am doing more harm than good.
It is this constant up and down, but more than that normally it is both up and down. The longer I am in this job the more I see the wisdom of all of those youth ministry books that tell you not to base your self-worth on your job or what a teenager thinks about you. But when your life’s work is wrapped up in that job sometimes it is hard to keep reminding yourself that it will all be OK.
About the Author
All that I can say is that I understand this ride. I have used the same analogy to talk about the ups and downs of having a son deployed. But it also works here too!