Ministry is Like a Box of Chocolates

“…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.