When I worked in student ministry, I saw a lot of volunteers who came and went. This is not too uncommon in any volunteer position. Time and demands end up pulling even the most committed of us in other directions. Yet, in student ministry especially, this can be especially frustrating. Working with kids is a process that takes incredible investment, and perhaps even more importantly, presence over an extended period of time. Whenever there was someone in my office who generally would feel discouraged or unsure about their fit, I would describe a crock pot.
Much has been said about how this generation want things immediately – about being impatient and frustrated. First, this is true about every generation. And second, many have not had mentors to challenge them in the spiritual disciplines of patience. This is absolutely a coached trait. I would try to explain how working with students is more like a crock pot than a microwave. It takes time and preparation to have something beautiful in the end. Rarely do microwave meals look appealing. Crock pot relationships often finds the cook throwing things into the pot in hopes that the flavor comes out in the end. Kindness, perseverance, showing up at the cornerstone moments in a kid’s life, and listening, are all ingredients that need to warm gradually in order to have any flavor in the end.
The truth is, many of us step away from relationships and circumstances before the big payoff. We sometimes feel that if it hasn’t happened by an arbitrary time, then it won’t ever happen. Perhaps it is, like a slow cooked meal, needing more time to absorb the flavor of our choices. Whether you are working with kids, or working a seemingly dead end job, don’t give up. Allow the situation to cook. Give it time. Meanwhile, continue to invest the proper ingredients in the hope that the end will be worth the unknown science behind the recipe.
Matt simon blog 