Don't Miss The Moments

One thing about ministry that we often don't realize until you are in the thick of it, is that the things that others get excited about being a part of, we sometimes feel like we missed.  Let me explain what I mean.

If you think about it nearly all of the big events of the church involve some sort of Children's Ministry.  Easter has egg hunts and special services which include services for the children.  Christmas generally includes a children's program of some sort and various parties and events to celebrate the Savior's birth.  Summer, for most people, includes a vacation or some sort of leisure time.  But for Children's workers the programming actually increases and so do the events (Camps, Water Wednesdays, etc).  And all these things take extra planning and preparation on our parts.

Now, don't misunderstand me,  I am not in any way complaining.  I adore being a Children's Pastor, but it hit me this week that sometimes we get so involved with the prep and the planning that we sometimes feel like we missed getting to be a part of the "event."  Then I read something a friend put on Facebook and it nearly brought me to tears.  It was beautiful and it put into words things I felt, but didn't even realize I had been feeling.  I want to share her words with you.

Her name is Jennifer Coffman and she was writing this after a large Easter Event at her church:

I like to write. I write a lot, more than I talk (this may be hard for some of you to believe). I write lots of things that no one ever reads.

Every Easter, I long to write something brilliant, some tangible evidence of this intangible essence inside me. And every Easter, the words escape me. I think it's because every Easter, I expect to have THE MOMENT - that moment that opens my eyes, changes my walk, brings me to my knees. Every Easter, I yearn to experience it in a brand new way: to mourn on Friday, rejoice on Sunday, and wonder in between on the miraculous grace of God. 

And every Easter, I'm disappointed. Because I "work" for the church (and I use that term loosely), this weekend is always busy. By the end of the weekend, I'm usually spent - and wondering how I missed THE MOMENT yet again. 

Today . . .
I didn't spend time wondering.
I didn't meditate on miracles.
I didn't contemplate grace.

What I did do was talk to hundreds (literally hundreds!) of people. I welcomed them into kingdom life. I smiled at children and attached wristbands and answered questions and smiled some more. That's so far outside of my comfort zone . . . I cannot even begin to explain it. 

Maybe . . . just maybe . . . instead of wondering about God, I experienced Him.
And maybe instead of meditating on miracles, I witnessed them.
Maybe instead of contemplating grace, I practiced it.

Could it be that THE MOMENT of Easter is beyond words? Could it be that mere words are not adequate to describe this wonder? Could it be that the eternal hope of this most holy week is, in fact, so holy that it can only be experienced . . . and not explained? 

I think I just had THE MOMENT.
‪#‎experienceEaster‬

As we all take a breath after the last few days, which I'm certain were very busy, I hope you look back on all the things you did, all the plans you made, and all the people you touched and are able to realize that we were a part of something special.  And while "The Moment" might be different for each of us...take time to experience "The Moment" God gave you to experience Easter.