Time Out: Weekly quiet times for the youth worker’s soul.
(by Adam Wormann)

My friend is the pastor of a church plant in Easton, PA. They had an awesome idea this week. They talked about being a blessing to their community. I believe the analogy was like spring water in the middle of a desert, based off of the beginning of Psalm 63. We’re called to be a blessing to others. More so, we’re called to bring the blessing of God to others. Then, they gave every person in the congregation $40 with the mandate “Go and be a blessing to someone with no strings attached.” (Later I found out that the church donated their entire weekly offering to assist in relief with the Kenya/Somalia famine).

I know that in ministry, and often especially in youth ministry, it feels like that’s what we do – constantly pour out. Sometimes we just need rest. I get that. I feel it all the time. But, part of our soul care is giving. By giving and being generous to others, it feeds an essential part of our soul. And this isn’t just financial. It is aside from “work.” Take the time to get to know some neighbors. It doesn’t have to be “work”, it’s just life. And it’s shared with someone else.

Adam McLane has been posting a lot on his twitter feed lately asking people to think about, “How can I be a blessing to others today?” He’s a smart guy; that’s really good advice. Go out and be a blessing to someone else, just because.

I came across a post by Josh Reeves this week. Here’s 25-100 ways that you can engage your neighborhood. Scan through these right now to get an idea. Then, read through Matthew 25. Take a few minutes to just sit and reflect on that, and think through how Jesus calls us to be a blessing.

Reflect

• How is this a part of your daily life?
• What can you start doing to be a blessing to others?
• What do you need to stop doing so that you can be a blessing?

Posted on August 22, 2011