Super duper.

I once read an article by Steve Bartel about motivations for working with children. I feel almost haunted by that article sometimes. It asks the reader to thoroughly examine their motives for wanting to do ministry. Basically (if I remember correctly) there are several motives for working with children, ranging from the good, the bad, and the ugly. For example some people are motivated by pity, for a need for redemption, compassion, and even pedophilia. The point of the article was what is your motivation for working with kids? What makes you tick? What makes me tick? Once we have drawn a conclusion or come up with some sort if answer…. We have to ask ourselves, "Is that a good answer??" Right now I work with kids. I’m at that awkward age/stage when I’m still trying to decide what to do with my life and wondering if I’ll ever figure it out. Do I want to work with young children for the rest of my life? And where?? I ask myself this question every day. In the morning I’ll have one answer and by lunch time I’m already imaging my life going in a completely different direction. And so I ask myself, “Why are you here? And is this something you want  to do forever?” I think to myself… Well I like it here. I’m learning a lot and having a lot of fun. I can’t really see myself anywhere else so why not? But that’s not such a good answer now is it? I think I got started doing this whole missions thing with this “out-to-save-the-world” complex. I see all of the injustice and sadness in the world and I feel compelled to do something. I feel compelled to don a red cape and fly off and fix the world. Rock my super hero hair and go do justice. But that’s not really realistic is it? And that feeling fades. See the thing is sometimes you don’t feel much like saving the world when your exhausted and your throat hurts from telling kids not to fight and all you want is a cup of joe, a little peace, and a really good book. And so I thought, “Why am I here? What should my motivation really be?”

I was reading Proverbs this morning and on a whim decided to flip to the book of Acts. In Acts chapter three, Peter heals a cripple beggar. As the story goes on in chapter four, the Sadducees are at it again trying to convict Peter and John of doing something bad. Just like how Clark Kent never gets Lois Lane, so it seems to go with all super heroes. Whenever you do good, something always comes about to bite you in the butt. And so for Peter, it was the Sadducees. The Sadducees finally agree to let Peter and John go on the account that they stop proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. This is what they said, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20.)” That really struck me. That is why I should do missions. Because I “cannot help speaking about what [I] have seen and heard.” Because Jesus loves me and I love Jesus who loves children and so I love children. Make sense? And Jesus makes a way better super hero than I do. I’ll let Him be super and be available for Him to work through me. That's motivation enough for me.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Ghandi