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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.

Christmas Weekend Conclusion

Welp folks the Christmas weekend is almost to a close. Actually kind of came to a close for me today considering i work on Sundays haha.

That said it's been pretty nice. Got to spend some time with my family. We exchanged gifts, had some laughs, saw a few good movies. It was nice. Today was really cool though.

Pastor wanted to do something a little different so we did this great illustrated sermon using the book "A Tale of Three Trees" It's a really neat story about three trees that were originally planted on a mountain side.

The first tree wanted to be made into a treasure box and hold the most precious jewels of all.

The second wanted to become a might ship that carried kings!

The third tree simply wanted to sit there and point to God for all time.

Then a few lumberjacks showed up and cut them all down and the three trees fell into despair as they came to realize that they would not be made into what they had planned on.

The first tree had become a simple feed box for animals.

The second became a boat for fisher men.

The third was simply cut into pieces of lumber and throne into a pile.

Have you ever been there? You had all these great ideas and plans on what you wanted to do. They were fantastic and even glorifying to God! Yet something happens, your plans are shot and thrown to side. You're not doing at all what you had originally planned on doing. Like the trees in the story you find yourself asking,

Why!? Why God am i here? I've been faithful, all my plans were for you! Why am i here at this point in my life! why!

The three trees felt this way too, yet one by one they had something special happen to them. The first tree found it self one special starlit night in a simple stable. A new mother and father resting exhausted from the day's events. The mother rests her newborn son in the feed box, she looked up at her loving husband, "isn't he beautiful? isn't our son, Jesus, so beautiful?" It was then that the first tree realized that he didn't hold the riches of the world but rather the most precious jewel in all of Heaven and Earth.

The second tree was one day cast out in the waters of the simple sea. Suddenly a massive storm arose and begin to toss the boat and it's travelers back and forth. lighting striking the water right near the bow of the ship! The travelers turned to each other and one finally went over and woke one of their companions. This man stood and walked to the edge of the boat and simply said

Peace, Be Still

And the raging storm stopped. It was then that the second tree realized that while he was not carrying mighty kings of this world, he was carrying the King of Kings.

The third tree one day found itself being dragged out of the wood pile by some soldiers. It didn't understand why the soldiers formed it into the shape of a cross. It didn't understand why they made a simple carpenter who had been beaten beyond recognition carry it so far. It didn't understand why the crowds seemed to hate this man so much. Finally when it heard the man pleading to God to forgive the people it understood, that every time people looked to it's cross shaped form, it would be pointing them straight to God.

See God has a plan for you. He sees things in a entirely different light then we do. While we see things in one direction God is able to step back out of time and see the beginning and the end.

Perhaps you were like the first try and u had plans for holding great riches. But suddenly, be it due to poor economic times or poor financial judgment, you find yourself in place where you feel as low as you could be. You've gone from 5 star to Denny's breakfast bar.

Perhaps you were like the second tree and you had plans of part of that upper class. The guy who calls the shots. You thought for sure you were up for that big promotion but suddenly BAM!! You get pushed to the side and now you're a no body.

Then again maybe you were like the third tree who had great plans that were all meant to honor God and glorify him... but sadly for one reason or another all those dreams seemed to be cut down and thrown away. You feel as though you can't serve Him anymore. That you've wasted your time trying to honor God and serve him.

Doesn't matter the situation fact remains, GOD IS IN CONTROL.

He loves you has a plan for your life. You simply need to be willing to be used by him. If you're down have faith that he will take car of you in the end.

Didn't mean to go into all that. in all honesty i was just trying to tell you about my day.