{Life} Coffee Stained Rags

Written By: Kerrington Sweeney

From a youth leaders heart…
It was 7:54pm.  The students were just about to rush out of the youth room at 8pm, on a Wednesday night.  There I was attempting to begin tidying up the great big mess and thinking to myself what a full night we had, had.

As the trash all over the floors and the never ending amount of crumbs seemed to pile up…I had it in my mind, that I really wanted to be out of that room in 6 minutes like the rest of the crowd.  I took it upon myself to make sure that room would be all neat and tidy when that clock would strike, 8pm.  I went into what I like to call…”The cleaning zone.”  Scrambling to get everything done in a very short amount of time.

I was quickly removing extra chairs from the tables and vigorously wiping down the coffee station when…this young gal, came up behind me and asked if I was busy?  I replied with: “Yes! I am just trying to quickly clean right now! So I can leave!”  It was her response that broke my heart and brought me to tears…  “Oh that’s okay, I guess I can just ask you next week, when you’re not so busy.”

As she began to turn and walk away, the Holy Spirit nudged me to stop her.  I quickly turned around and said “I’m sorry, what’s your question my dear?”  She continued on to say, that she really needed someone to pray with her.  That she just needed a little heart-to-heart chat time with me.  So right then and there, I whipped my coffee stained rag that was occupying my hands aside, and we sat on the couch, in the crazy chaos of the youth room and had a beautiful moment together.  We prayed.  We laughed.  She then began to weep, as I spoke many words of life over her and encouraged her to press into Jesus.

Leaders, how often this truly does happen in ministry, heavies my heart.  What is occupying your loving hands and stealing your encouraging words today?  For me, it was that coffee stained rag and that messy youth room that was distracting me, from my purpose in that moment as a youth leader.

Leaders as a reminder to you, like the Holy Spirit reminded me, it’s not about the neat and tidy youth room until after 8pm, when you see your last students leave the room and the goodbye chats have been said.  I think at times, we lose sight of what truly is important in the church.  And Church, is truly about the youth and the kids.  Because always remember, those little souls, they are the future church.
Give up your coffee stained rags and go love on someone today.

Forgive often.  Live abundantly.  Love unconditionally.

Until Next Time,
~Kerrington