Sometimes stories don’t end the way we had hoped.

Sometimes the effort doesn’t produce the outcome. Sometimes the end result can be disappointing.

As I stated in last week’s post, “While serving in Alaska, I was encouraged to get involved in local schools instead of just focusing on our churched teens…Particularly, I had the opportunity to serve in a mentorship program at a local middle school.” (Why I Want to Find Balance Between Discipleship and Evangelism)

Today, I’d like to share a bit more of my experience working with these young men, and how the end of my relationship with them didn’t play out the way I had hoped.

The academic struggles of these students most often stemmed from behavioural struggles. Because the mentors were not parents nor teachers, it gave us a unique opportunity to speak into their lives, to hear what was really going on. Unfortunately and as is so often the case, these struggles in school were the outcome of rough home lives and dysfunctional family relationships. It was a privilege to serve in this role, but a tough one no less.

I’ll never forget my first official meeting.

I walked in to meet the three junior high boys that I would be mentoring. Within the introductions and the getting to each other conversation, there were obvious questions about their parents and families. The one boy at age 12, told me about living in a trailer with his dad, mom and older brother. His parents and brother would be gone for days at a time.

The other boy jumped in, “And they don’t ever leave him any food!”

He continued at his friend’s request. I soon found out that it was not uncommon to have mustard or ketchup sandwiches on mouldy bread or saltine crackers. He perked up at one point, “There’s a Chinese family who lives a couple of trailers down. Sometimes they invite me over. Their food is awesome!”

It was clear that he wasn’t making this stuff up.

The more I got to know these boys, the more my heart ached for them. I had to walk a crooked line between listening to their sad tales, yet trying to encourage them; keeping secrets, yet bound to report abuse and neglect. Nevertheless, they trusted me and listened to every bit of encouragement and counsel. I gradually developed great relationships with these young men.

Unfortunately, as in most public schools, I could not openly evangelize. But I was able to focus on a biblical principle from time to time, without actually quoting Scripture, to speak into their lives. For example, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

I could also invite them to attend any youth event or activity that our church was putting on in the evenings or weekends. Eventually, they started attending the youth program at our church from time to time.

This gave me a full opportunity to tell them about Jesus.

I thought this was the point, where all my work would come to an epic climax! I was convinced that at least one of these young men would accept Christ. With sadness, I can’t say that any of them made a true profession to follow Jesus. To this day, I still feel some disappointment. There’s no doubt that they definitely heard the Gospel a number of times. So I am left, trusting and praying that God has added water to the seeds He allowed me to plant.

I tell you this account, as a reminder for myself as much as anyone else; that we can not lose heart. We are simply called to serve in some capacity, using our gifts and sharing the Message of Christ where possible. We often can’t control the people or the situations, and so often the results are not what we had anticipated. Nevertheless, we must be faithful to accomplish what God has laid for us.

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• Have you ever had a ministry experience that didn’t end the way you had hoped?
• If so, how were you able to move past that disappointment?