One of my favorite memories from my time in youth ministry involves a speech given by one of my amazing volunteer youth workers in a cornfield in Kentucky. It was my first major event for First Baptist Church of St Albans, WV. I had been at the church for several months, but I didn’t know the teenagers very well, nor they me. So, as is often the case, some of the teenagers were pushing the envelope to see how much they could get away with. It was not a fun experience for me. I don’t enjoy being “the bad guy,” but for the safety of the students and my own integrity as a leader, I was constantly filling that role. As my more experienced volunteers watched the struggle, one finally had enough and spoke out. Her name was “Miss Hanshew.”
In the most authoritative “teacher voice” I’ve ever heard, she said, “Children, AND YOU ARE CHILDREN…”
Miss Hanshew was an experienced, well-respected English teacher at one of the local middle schools. She had served in the youth ministry at FBC for many years and was a vital member of my team. During an evening meeting, a student openly and vocally defied my instructions. Before I could respond, Miss Hanshew took the floor. I will never forget the words that came out of her mouth. In the most authoritative “teacher voice” I’ve ever heard, she said, “Children, AND YOU ARE CHILDREN…” That short phrase set the tone for what was to come next as she emphasized both the privilege of being childlike and the problems of being childish. It was a watershed moment for my time in St Albans, and it is one of those phrases/speeches that continues to speak to me all these years later.
In Matthew 18:2-4, we read these words from Jesus, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” I can hear the words of Miss Hanshew in these words of Jesus. The issues we were facing in the field that week revolved around people acting in childish ways. As is sometimes the case with teenagers, our young people were beginning to move into adulthood and were wanting their own space. They believed they knew what was best and wanted to do what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it. They were either ignorant or dismissive of how their personal preferences and actions would impact the rest of the group. The great irony is that in their desire to be adults they were acting in very childish ways. It was altogether unacceptable.
On the other hand, they were in the midst of an experience that allowed them to behave in childlike ways. We as their adult leaders were caring for the details of the trip, so they were allowed to function with a level of ignorance and innocence. They were able to trust that we would provide for their needs and their protection. They were able to relax and enjoy the experience afforded to them by our efforts. But, it only worked when they had faith in our care and were faithful to follow our leadership.
No matter how old and experienced we get there is always a tension between childish tendencies we need to overcome and childlike trust that is so crucial to our relationship with both God and one another.
I think there are times that we, even as grown adults, need someone to lovingly look us in the face and remind us, “Children, and you are children…” No matter how old and experienced we get there is always a tension between childish tendencies we need to overcome and childlike trust that is so crucial to our relationship with both God and one another. It is so easy to be blinded by our own perspective and preferences. It is so easy to become skeptical, if not cynical, when things aren’t going exactly the way we want. When we allow our childish tendencies to take over we become consumed by our own self-sufficiency and we begin carrying weights that are too great for us to bear. Rather than trusting in self, however, we need to rest in the care and comfort that comes from being a child of God. We need to believe that He is true to His Word and will follow through on His promises. Further, we must see our need for the friends and family that bless our lives. We need to learn to rely on their help and allow them to share the load of life with us. Children, and we are children, will we reach out for a helping hand with childlike trust, or will we try to do it our own way with childish ignorance?
