The Big Ask

Sometimes I spend time reflecting on my job as a youth pastor and how my Bible College experience lacked covering some of the areas I now find myself needing expertise.

For example, a class on the fine art of moving furniture without breaking other people’s stuff would have been quite helpful. Where was “Moving 104” or “Removing stains from the Sanctuary Floor 301”? I could use those class notes now.

I greatly value my education. I rely heavily every day on things I learned in college. However, sometimes situations arise and I wonder, “Did I miss a day?”

So I often have these thoughts about what classes I would offer if I ever start up a Bible College. Not that I ever will. I just think about such things. But then I never write anything down so I forget about what classes I would offer. Then out of the blue, one day a guy asks, “What classes do you wish your Bible College offered that it didn’t?” And I freeze because I’ve got so many answers but can’t remember them.

Well, here’s one.

I’m learning that the hardest part of my job is also the most important. And that is enlisting help. I can’t do this on my own, and I don’t think “lone ranger” should ever be in a pastoral job description.

Yet picking up the phone to ask for help is excruciating.

I need someone with a truck to help me move an elderly woman. I can either rent a truck and do it myself, or pick up the phone and call someone thereby giving them the opportunity to be a co-minister.

So how much is it to rent a pick up for a day?

Or maybe I need a few guys with trucks to help with a bottle drive. Wait, why do I always need a truck? Maybe I should buy one.

No that’s not the solution.

Or maybe I need sever parents to drive youth around for an evening. Why am I waiting until three nights before the event to call them?

You know, sometimes I think my job would be a lot easier if I didn’t need anyone’s help. If I could just do everything myself this would be a piece of cake.

Of course I would be all alone.

There would need to be no youth.

There would need to be no other people in the church.

I would need to have no desire to reach out to people.

I guess if I really wanted to never need help I should never have pursued being a pastor.

So if getting help is so essential to being a pastor, why was the topic never covered in College?

So as I sit here realizing that the hardest part of my job is the most important, I wonder how to overcome the difficulty of asking for help.

Any thoughts?