When No One Shows Up

 

Have you ever had a ministry day planned and no one showed up?  Me too recently.  Well, not exactly no one, but next to no one.  Those moments can be really discouraging if you let them.  When they happen to me (and they do sometimes) one reaction is to reflect on what I did wrong.  Did I communicate enough?  Did I communicate clearly enough?  Was there any buy in from other people to want to do what I was asking them to do?  Those and other questions like them are all good questions to ask in order to evaluate to do better the next time.  But instead of just focusing on what didn't go well, it is just as important to focus on what went right.

Like I said for my particular situation is there were a few people who showed up.  It makes me appreciate those who do show up all the more.  It makes me appreciate my leaders even more who showed up to do what I suggested doing.  In so doing, they had to do more work than they normally would have.  They spent some valuable time away from their families like I did.

The event we did was a "Rake and Run."  The whole youth group was split into their small groups and were going to meet at four different homes.  We ended up meeting at only three.  We were supposed to rake the leaves of a yard of someone in our church and a yard of one of their neighbors.  Since we had less people show up we did good just to get the person's yard from our church done in the time we had.  But it was such a blessing to help someone out in a small way.  Only the people who show up get to experience that blessing.

Bad days in ministry.  Yeah, I've had them too.  But look on the bright side.  You are not alone.  There are some who are willing to do big things for God right alongside you.  And you get to experience the blessing of knowing you did the right thing.  Some people probably have valid excuses for not showing up.  Who knows?  Maybe next time they will.   Or the next time.  Or the time after that.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

                                                                                                                                Galatians 6:9,10, NIV