Growing up can be depressing...

Well, you know its true.

You don't want to admit it, but sometimes growing up can be downright depressing.

My youth minister from high school was in town this weekend. He was here to officiate at a wedding for one of the kids who was in our youth group. It should have been a memorable and meaningful moment in his ministry, but it was not all it was cracked up to be. This guy, who our youth minister poured so much into, has been living with his fiancee for quite awhile. He stopped going to church when our youth minister moved. He and his fiancee asked my youth minister to not talk about God in the wedding. What could have been, and should have been a beautiful and sentimental time of seeing the power of loving others was not really that at all.

Then, to add wood to the fire a bunch of us who were in youth group together tried to gather up old youth group junkies and have a reunion with our old youth minister. Great idea, right? Spend some time laughing about old trips and fun memories, sharing what God has been doing in your life since, and maybe even rekindle some old friendships...

As it turned out, that's not really what happened. Instead it seemed to be a gathering of people whose lives were once seemingly touched by God, but had since moved on to a different part of their lives. A part that didn't seem to include Him at all.

And it really started to depress me.

How many hours of prayer were spent, by our youth minister, on our behalf? How many hours away from his family to invest in us? How many hours of Bible studies and trips to sporting events and musicals and choir shows were logged?

And then, it really hit me.

If just one life is changed, it is worth it. If just one soul is sold out for Jesus, nothing is lost or wasted. If the power of God's Word transforms just one life, you can consider your ministry a success.

Do I live my life that way? Do I see and truly understand the beauty of one soul? Could I serve in ministry for twenty years and see only one life totally transformed?

As I sat there wondering what our youth minister must think about the choices some of his old kids had made, my heart grew sad. But then I realized he didn't see it that way at all. He saw the beauty of those lives that were changed. He understood that even when you give your life to ministry sometimes you are not going to see transformation. Some will not choose Jesus, some will take the wide path, and some will wander longer before kneeling at His throne.

I am convinced God showed me this portrait to begin to build up my stamina and perserverance for ministry.

I am convinced I don't fully know and appreciate the value of one soul.

I am convinced my ministry today has been deeply shaped by all that was invested in me through my youth minister. In fact, I might not be in ministry if it wasn't for him.

And I am thoroughly convinced that the sadness my heart felt for those who had not chosen Jesus was nothing compared to His sadness. My glimmer into the depth and width of His love for us, shone a little brighter.