salt the planet

In youth ministry, I find one of my primary struggles comes from knowing when and how to raise students up and when to release them. I see it as future preparation for me as a parent (though I know that it will be different then [btw, "then" is still a couple of years off, God willing]) . I also see this struggle with parents who, at various times, do not see the ability within their kids to move beyond to do amazing things. It can be so oppressive from a student's viewpoint, yet so difficult for a parent whose heart is centered on raising their child the best they know how.

Though this post by Steve Argue touches on broader and deeper things, it was what got me started thinking about this.

I pray for our parents, that they may not only realize their call to raise their children, but also their call to release them. I pray that our students will be understanding when these times don't come as they desire. I pray that I will be given the wisdom to discern how to come alongside parents and students in this journey.