Author: Pastor Steve Duffy
Being with students for a full week has been an extreme joy. I mean that! It is a privilege to have parents hand over their youth to our care for 5-6 days for this recent trip, the Challenge conference. To walk together through the daily planned rhythms, those listed on our daily schedule and those we discussed ahead of time to add to it. But, it is all the “unplanned” moments that have been most impactful and memorable. Isn’t that what makes any time together (e.g., family vacations) most memorable?
Often as you reflect back on family vacations together it isn’t too long before the flat tire is brought up, the wrong turn, the activity that was built up with so much expectation but ended up being an epic disappointment, or maybe a traumatic situation like a sickness or injury. In any case, all of the unplanned moments while together seem to add a unique marker to the experience.
As I reflect back on this trip so far (we are on the last day as I write this), it may be just me but there have been more of the “unplanned” moments than I was prepared to absorb. And with that, it is clear that the Lord had something for me in this “suite” of unplanned moments. Just to give you a taste, a few that come to mind…
- Day 1: pick up one of the vans, leave my phone in my car, get luggage packed up in my van, can’t find my phone. Ugh.
- Day 1: 45 minutes into the trip, hit a dog on the highway. See me for the whole story, but very traumatic.
- Day 1: bathroom stop 1 hour away from destination, student is very ill. To be continued.
- Day 1: arrive in Kansas City, van just barely (or maybe I’m exaggerating) clears the height requirement for the parking garage. It became clear at level 2 that we were not clearing the ceiling. No need to give further detail!
- Day 1: saw a fellow youth worker from Pella near the elevator and he asked how the day was going so far, my response was I listed out all the previous. His response was, so glad you all made it here and are checked in. What?! Conviction starts to pierce the heart.
- Day 1: hear the first speaker, and realize I spent my first day grumbling/complaining (all internal, but that is where it starts) about all that didn’t go as planned. Conviction cuts deeper in the heart, repentance in full force. Grumbling turns to praising God for all that went well for the day. Breakout small group sharing turns into a time of confession
That was just day 1 🙂 Day 1 was heart preparation to receive all that the rest of the week would bring, all that the Lord in His sovereignty, goodness, kindness and love would have for us. And I’m grateful for that, because it is the additional unplanned moments that would require full attention to be used by the Spirit to minister the gospel to students.
Those additional unplanned moments occurred in the form of:
- Small group huddles where bold questions were needed to move students into deeper sharing, confession, and honesty regarding where they were at with various topics. Also to celebrate together, and doing so genuinely, where God was growing one another.
- An individual conversation with a student who was having a hard time adjusting to “group life”, setting aside their own interests for the interests of the group preference (or at least the majority).
- A trip to the urgent care and then pharmacy (the continuation of the previous illness mentioned on Day 1). This was no easy task given all that was needed for medical attention away from parents, on a trip, and in the city. A great opportunity to die to self!
- An individual conversation with a student who was experiencing a very difficult relational moment. Carving out an hour of free time to walk the student through how they might resolve the situation, praying with them, and then following up. This will be a journey to work through, not a 1 time conversation.
These are just a few examples of the “unplanned” moments that followed Day 1. I’m only imagining what would have been missed had my grumbling heart not been dealt with right up front. Thank you Lord! Many of these unplanned moments have been a nonstop reference so far, even the Day 1 moments. And we look back already and laugh/joke about some of them. They are significant markers in our journey this week. Just as important as the scheduled moments, these unplanned moments are purposed by God to grow us, to enable us to remain humble, to embrace His will for the day, and His provision in carrying out each of the moments.
How are you at handling the “unplanned” moments? We all fall short in this, but the quicker we are moved to embrace what God has for us in these, the more ready we are to be freed up to stop living like the “god” of our own kingdom and embrace His Kingdom way of life in the moment/day/trip. Don’t miss those unplanned moments, do the heart work needed to shift from grumbling about them to embracing them, and then be ready to be used by the Spirit to minister the gospel in very meaningful ways!
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” -Matthew 6:33-34
