Dead Battery

I did another video today, but unfortunately the battery in my camera died so I can't transfer it. I hope to purchase a spare tomorrow and post. So here's a few thoughts I've had today...

First, I had an uneasy feeling all day that what was being discussed was placing me in a position as a youth minister to just let people be people and whatever they did was ok because that's their story/journey and who am I to infringe anything upon them. So this was really tearing me up all day. Then I had dinner with 3 Catholics and a Baptist. It was awesome! They expressed the same concern as me and helped me to see that I wasn't the only one struggling with the discussion that was happening. Let me be clear. The presenters, Mike and Chris, were not the one's I was struggling with as much as some of the discussion coming from those participating. A couple comments really kicked my kitten....

-We were speaking about our roles as youth ministers and how we are to come along side students in relationships and empower them to make good choices. A comment was brought up that this person (Mr. G) felt uncomfortable telling somebody that they were wrong in what they were doing because the actor was actually acting on a deep need they had that was unfulfilled. Mr. G didn't want to get in the way of allowing the actor to do what they needed to do.

-Another comment had to do with God's agenda and how this person didn't think that God had a specific plan for them from which they were to not stray. This person was moving away from the idea that God had a plan for us that we should strive to seek out and live. Perhaps this person was speaking about specifics, which I do agree with. But she was more speaking to the idea that God comes down and meets us where we at (which I agree with) and doesn't place us on any particular path. (which I'm not sure I agree with) Perhaps we first need to define what we mean by path. This could all be semantics.

Regardless, both of these comments made it appear that God is working relative to that person in such a way that we should not interfere, but allow for that individual to continue living it out so they can discover who God is to them. This bothers me for three reasons...(1)I find great comfort and power in God's use of others to come into my life to "interfere" in a way that brings me along in my journey and (2) I find a lot of relativity in statements that include "for me." I understand that God works in us differently dependent upon where we are, but the "for me" language creates a God that is for me and nobody else. Surely God is more than just what He is to me? (3) Why is it that we are making God come to us? Aren't we to pursue Him and His righteous, holy, perfect, awesome will? Isn't there an absolute truth that we are searching for?

So yea, it's been a pretty tough day as I've wrestled with this. I don't have it figured out and probably never will. I'm curious to hear other thoughts.