Blessed...

There is this chapter in the book of Proverbs, it speaks of a woman of noble character.  As a woman of God, it is what I desire to be and constantly fall short of, but tonight I can't help but think of one verse in particular...

"Her children arise and call her blessed..." 

This line is found in Proverbs 31:28 and tonight I feel blessed.  I am in the midst of a changing season. I have worked with Junior High and High School students for the last fourteen years in some capacity or another, mostly volunteer. However, I have been blessed to have spent the last two and a half years working full time in the 11th and 12th grade high school ministry at my church.  This has been a season of immense growth and joy for me but tonight this season ended.

You see, ever since I was introduced to Jesus, I have wanted nothing more than to serve Him and share the blessings I have encountered through His grace, forgiveness and love.  I am nothing special.  I am girl who has made so many mistakes and yet found hope and forgiveness in a faith founded on mercy and undeserved favor.  I don't deserve this blessing but I accept it.  If you are reading my blog, you probably have a good idea by now of what I believe and it is this belief that drives me.  If this is the first post of mine that you have stumbled upon, it is grace that compels me to share the love I have been shown by such an amazing God and the sacrifice He made for me in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is this faith that made me want to work with students.  

Life is tough and it starts getting rough when we are young.  Peer pressure, the struggle to be noticed or go unnoticed, our desire to be loved, cared for and accepted...friend drama, family drama, school drama...am I a child or am I an adult...who do I want to be, who should I be...so many questions and so few answers.  And without Jesus there is so little hope.  This is why I love ministry.  I love walking through life with others, sharing the dreams and disappointments. I would love to spend the rest of my life doing youth ministry.

But tonight was my last night working in youth ministry as a job.  Next week I go back to my old career of working with computers and network servers.  I know that this change in jobs is not an end to ministry in my life, just an end to this particular season.  You see a wise man told me recently "Ministry is not what you do, it is who you are" and it is with this in mind that I am able to make this career change, but leaving is still so bittersweet.

Tonight the students I have spent the last two and a half years with said goodbye to me. They wrote me notes of praise and love.  They told me how I had impacted them and thanked me for all I had done in their lives.  They gave me hugs and they prayed for me, my family and my future.  The funny thing is, they have impacted me so much more than they will ever know...and even though these are not my children, I can not help but feel that I am blessed.

So to those students from tonight and students from the past fourteen years, I want to say "Thank you!" Thank you for all the love YOU have shown me.  Thank you for allowing me to see God work in your lives.  Thank you for laughing with me.  Thank you for sharing your sorrows with me.  Thank you for sharing your dreams with me.  Thank you for sharing your frustrations with me.  Thank you for loving me and allowing me to care for you.  Thank you for serving beside me.  Thank you for asking me questions, even if I couldn't always give you an immediate answer.  Thank you for being real.  Thank you for giving God a chance to change your life and MOST OF ALL, Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives...I AM BLESSED.