{Life} One Last Breath.

Written By: Kerrington Sweeney

Dedicated to: Sal Morrone, faithful youth leader and friend.

After one exhausting Wednesday Night spent with the youth group…Myself and another youth leader were cleaning up the youth room; which just moments before had at least 40+ students, running around, eating cupcakes without plates.

I will just let you take a moment and let your imagination take care of, what that disastrous mess looked like.

It had just been a really long night, and to be honest, I just wanted to leave that mess for someone else and go home to relax. Thoughts like, “Why are they so messy?”, “Couldn’t they just try to keep it in their mouths?”, “This is an entire cupcake on the floor…really?!? Ugh!!” were swirling around in my mind, while I attempted to clean smushed cupcake crumbs out of the carpeting. (Good times.)
After everything I would clean, the room didn’t seem to get any cleaner. I know now, that my grumpy attitude wasn’t helping my situation either.

The room, that was just bustling with noise and somewhat chaos, was now completely silent and peaceful. In amongst the mumbling and grumbling of my heart, what broke the rooms silence, was the sound of that faithful youth leaders voice, as he began to sing the words: “If all I had was one last breath, I’d spend it just to sing your praise, just to say your name.”

It took a moment to register in my mind and when it did…tears filled my eyes. What an ugly, selfish heart I had. If those were to be my last breaths, cleaning up smushed cupcakes on the church floors, than so be it. To God be all the glory.

My perspective of what my role in leadership was to be, truly changed after hearing those words sung. It wasn’t just about the oh-so-joyful mountain top experiences. Being a leader is about the nitty gritty, the dirty carpeting, and the ugly heart moments. It’s about continually learning, growing and changing for the better, to better serve and better equip the people with a passionate pursuit, to see them come to a new understanding and realization of Jesus Christ.

Leaders, we are to become selfless leadership. The moment you walk into any position of leading, you are to lay down your own selfish wants, needs and desires. Something I purposefully do now, the moment before, I put that leader lanyard name tag around my neck…I say a quick prayer that goes something like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you today and ask for divine opportunities to connect with people on new levels. Opportunities, to show them glimpses of the, ultimate love of Jesus Christ. Give me an understanding and wisdom as to what to say, and how to say it. I ask for an infusion of your presence to flow through me. Thank you for the privilege to serve in the expansion of your Kingdom. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen!

My concluding challenge for you today is, to look at your life and think to yourself, “If this was one of my last breaths, what would I be doing?” …Will I be spending it , mumbling and grumbling about some smushed cupcakes in the carpeting or Will I spend it just to sing His praise, just to say His name?

Remember, it’s one breath.

(Below are some of my wonderful students…love these gals!)