You can take a turn and then I'll get it back: Sharing In Youth Ministry


Hebrews 13:16

 16Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of "sacrifice"—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

 1 Timothy 6:18
...go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

Our daughters can be found singing a little song to themselves when they play, 
something they learned at pre-school. 

 "You can take a turn and then I'll get it back"

 Or you might hear me singing it in a more pronounced tone. It's usually sung in that moment when pre-school pandaemonium presents itself over a toy that no one wants to share. Children, SHE CAN TAKE A TURN AND THE SHE'LL GIVE IT BACK (or mommy gets the toy and you get a time-out).

 I was trying to remember the words and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a Mister Rogers song. I loved Mister Rogers. I liked how he always visited everyone in the neighborhood. As a child I wondered how he got into all of those places in the neighborhood to see how things work.

 Now I know how he did it. He was a good neighbor. 
Whenever I travel or have some free time here in Lakeland I find myself going on little adventures to places I've never been before. Just to see what's inside. To meet who lives or works there. To find out something new. And in the process I learn and discover neat stuff. (I really like the word "neat" too.) 

 (Which reminds me, later I'll tell you about the time when I had a few hours to kill in MO. I found myself crashing a wedding, eating a hotdog wrapped in a donut, getting lost in an Antique store, learning Pinan Shodan with a 5th degree Shihan (black belt), driving to Kansas, Oklahoma, back to Missiouri, meeting the original "Mater", and staying in a kinda-creepy-but-awesome-at-the-same-time Precious Moments hotel all in one day. Learned volumes that day. Would love to share. But I'm still processing the hot dog.)



















































































Kirra wanted to have "pass down gifts" at her birthday party this year. She loves getting toys from friends that they like and have already played with. Stuff that looks pretty beat up and loved on. To her it's toy gold. It represents something a friend wanted or needed or cared about. And because of that very fact, she wants, needs, and cares for it too.

She likes to share and be shared with. Even in her struggles to share sometimes, she still prefers it over alternative stinginess. 

I can tell you every moment when someone has shared something of value with me. Sometimes they gave it to me to use to return. Other times they simply shared without wanting a return. In both circumstances, I feel honored and valued and cared for. There's something to this sharing deal. 

My personality, after it absorbs some new knowledge, or takes in something beautiful, or experiences wonder begs me to share it with someone. I get loaded with excitement. I think I can be a little overwhelming to people sometimes. I just love to collect ideas, dreams, inventions, etc. and I love to tell everyone about them. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I have ever been tempted by drugs or other substances because adventure and curiosity is my drug and there's plenty of that to go around, why would I buy something fake to take it's place?

I have to admit though, sometimes I don't want to share. Because if people knew about what I have or have found they they might want it or find it.  It wouldn't be my own secret treasure anymore. It wouldn't be my "special" place. It'd get borrowed by other people and I want it for myself. That's why they created "secret" boards on Pinterest so you can pin hoard all day long and have the peace of mind that no one is going to beat you to the store to steal your style.

But, that just doesn't seem right.
Reign it in Brooklyn.

I have to snap out of that sort selfishness because really and truly I want to share. We were made to share stuff. My mom said so. My teacher said so. The Care Bears said so. 

And Jesus didn't leave anything to be exclusively his. He gave it all. Sharing His inheritance  image, personality, love, kindess, resources, and ultimately his life with us. 

It's humbling to think about.


If we want to make it youth ministry practical. We can. 

For instance, our friends Josh and Luis, at First Baptist Church @ the Mall are some amazing youth pastors. They had an incredible idea to launch a Go-Pro into outer space to give students a new appreciation for God's creation. Incredible idea! But before he even got the project off the ground (literally) he offered to share the equipment with us after he was finished (if it survived!) 


What!? That's awesome. And so generous.


Take a look at their video. Tomy and I watched in the office this morning like two kids in a candy store. This is youth ministry candy. The creativity and wonder just oozes from this whole deal. I love it. And I love that we share youth ministry in Lakeland.

Why not ask everyone to bring something from their home or office to share at your next meeting?
How cool it would be if everyone did this at our next youth ministry leader
fellowship? Why don't we bring one really helpful thing or book that we loved so much that we wrote on every page, and one super stupid thing (don't deny it, you know you've got a pack of Alka Seltzer from last night's fizzy face game or a half eaten pack of Oreos). 

I'm hoping youth ministry sharing will yield a quadruple whammy. We get to learn more about each other, exercise the gift of sharing, go on a mental adventure to your house or office. and enjoy laughing until it hurts a little.


We're going to try it next Thursday at our youth ministry lunch. We have a Lakeland network that meets monthly  Let's share the stuff on our desks in on our book shelves. Those really important things that make us feel valued and edified. 



 

When two friends want the same thing 

At the same time
It's great when you learn that you can both take turns
You can take a turn and then I'll get it back
At first I didn't want to let it go but good friends 
They can show they care when they share
You can take a turn and then I'll get it back
I can take a turn and then you'll get it back


I knew that your tutu could make the very best lion mane

-Mister Rogers

What will you share?