It's National Hug Your Youth Worker Day!

It's not really, but I won't turn down free hugs :)

When any of you walk into my office you'll see that it isn't very clean. My youth tease me about it, so does our church administrator. It's actually quite embarrassing b/c I'm a clean person, I really am (my office just doesn't reflect that... I don't have time to pick it up everyday and piles represent stuff that I'm currently working on). Anyway, so today, one of the pastor's from another church comes in to say hi before a meeting he has at our church. He walks in and says "Wow" and me assuming the worst say apologetically "I know, it's messy" and he replied "no, I was just going to say that you must be really busy." I felt totally wrong-footed, but felt understood. Yes, I am busy... That's why my office is messy, that's why there are piles and it was nice to have someone understand that.

It's amazing how much sincere praise (like someone noticing my messy desk and assuming I'm working hard instead of that I'm simply a slob) can affect my day . Sometimes this is a thankless job. Sometimes I feel totally bogged down by the tedium that can be youth ministry (all the paperwork!). Sometimes it is hard to work and work well, but when someone takes the time to offer sincere praise (like one of my girls who told me I make the Bible come alive to them) I can live on it for months... and it's sincere praise that reminds me that why I'm doing what I am in the first place.