“…Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” - Tom Hanks (Forest Gump, 1994)
I was 10 years old when “Forest
Gump” came out. I remember watching in on VHS while sitting on the floor in
our living room back up in Missouri. I remember it being a strange move and
that phrase especially being rather odd. What do you mean you never know what you’re
going to get? The box tells you! My
friends and I would quote portions of that film but that one line always came
up. It’s true through, you never do know what you’re going to get. But I still
contend, if you read the sheet that comes with the box, you’ll have an idea of
what you might come in contact with.
I was in my room this evening reflecting on today and that
quote came to mind only slightly different. “Ministry is like a box of chocolates;
you never know what you’re going to get.”
Over the last several years of ministry and especially this
past year being in youth ministry, I've seen all kinds of things. Hospital
visits, funerals, hour long conversations in the cold with heartbroken students,
discouraged youth pastor friends in need of help, people talking against me,
people talking against for me, teenage drama, adult age drama, discouraged
parents, broken parents, odd parents, discouraged teens, broken teens, odd
teens…. A lot….
No matter what the season I turn around and boom something
new pops up and I never seen to know what’s what. Yet, as I said before, if you’d just read the
instructions that came with the box you’d at least know what to expect and how
to respond. I can honestly say if I wasn't
in the word of God and in prayer, I’d probably go batty! If it wasn't for the grounding my father in
heaven gives me…. I’m not sure where I’d be.
So why do I do it? Why do I keep going on in ministry? Same
reason you eat all the chocolates in that dab gone box; because you love
chocolate. I love people. I love taking care of people and making sure folks
are doing well. I can’t help it. I can’t help but love people. No matter where I
go I find myself doing some form of ministry.
I wish I could say ministry was a 9 to 5 job but it simply isn't. It’s a
life style that you live day in and day out.
I remember Celeste and I once went on a ferris wheel. We got on the gondola and waited for it to
begin. We sat there chilling for a second and the man in charge placed another group
in the gondola with us…. an 8 year old boy and his 10 year old sister. As the
ferris wheel begin to go up Celeste and I immediately noticed these two young
kids were not accustomed to the height this contraption was taking us.
Without missing a beat I “took a bite out of that chocolate”
and begin to talk these two kids down. Celeste and I did our best to help them
relax and stay calm until we could get down. Why? Because they needed someone
to be there for them. They needed someone to let them know everything was going
to be ok.
Truly ministry is like a big ol’ box of chocolate. You never
know what will come up. Do you enjoy ever piece? No, but as long as you stay in
prayer and in the word, and are someone who loves people, it doesn't matter
what kind of nut comes up; you’ll finish that box.
