NOT making a fool of myself!

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last couple of days... my computer's been playing up again. It may be time for a new laptop (note to parents: that's a hint for my nexy birthday!).

Where did I leave it? From Saturday lunchtime onwards then. Despite not having played cricket since September, I somehow managed to NOT make a fool of myself. Fortunately, I my limited batting skills weren't required as we made 185-8, but when we fielded I came into my own. I bowled first-change and took 3-42 off nine overs, which I was pretty happy with! A touch expensive, perhaps, but one of my overs cost me 22 so when you take that one out it's a pretty tight spell. And three wickets! I've never been a big wicket-taker, so three in the first game is a pretty good start to the season. All classic off-spinner's dismissals, too: a stumping, a caught-and-bowled and (my favourite) one that turned through the gate and bowled him! Happy days! I hope the rest of the season goes as well!

Anyway, enough cricket chat (apologies to those that don't love/understand the game!). I'll talk about Youth Ministry now, since that is the point of this blog...

Sunday was a mad day. I started iff by playing the piano at the 10.30am service, then straight into RS2, where I was leading the second session of a three-week look at Paul. The first session was excellent, and next week's looks good too, but this one wasn't up to the usual YFC standards, so I had to do quite a lot of work to it to make it work. In the end, it went ok, I think.

Sunday evening, of course, brought the long-dreaded talk at the Mix. I can honestly say I have NEVER wrestled with a talk like I wrestled with this one. It was a joint effort with Lorna Jopson from SYWM, but I struggled so much with writing my two slots. The way I work on talks is to write and write and write around the subject (in this case, Church) and wait for inspiration to hit. It's normally not a problem, but this time it just wouldn't come. I finally got some of my ideas on Friday afternoon, a few more on Saturday and even a couple in the shower on Sunday morning. Scarily late!

So I arrived at The Mix having cried about it (a lot), shouted at it, got infuriated with it, given up on it, tried again, written and re-written it and I was still not sure that it was what God wanted me to say. I was a bit of a wreck to be honest.

But how often does God work through our wrecks? He so blessed the work I had put in, because I think the talk went really well! It turns out, I think, that it was EXACTLY what he wanted me to say... just shows how he's in control even when we can't feel him. I ended up talking about hugging strangers by mistake, a bit of cricket (surprise!) and ... belly buttons, actually. But as far as I can tell, it was funny when it was meant to be, touching when it was meant to be and challenging when it was meant to be. I couldn't have dared to pray for better.

One more thing, on that... the young people themselves were so supportive. Clare, Jeni, Emily and Amy spent some time praying for me before the thing started, and they'd even made a banner with an ant on it! They cheered me when I started and gave me the confidence to be myself on stage. I couldn't have done it without their support.

Which makes me think... so often this ministry goes best when it's two-way. I'm a strong believer in being yourself with young people and telling them when you're struggling. And then they want to minister to you! I'm sure I learn more about God from them than they do from me...