Sometimes ministry is hard. Sometimes family is hard. Sometimes friendship is hard. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes hard doesn’t even begin to describe the gut wrenching trials that we walk through. One of the biggest things that makes these things hard is people.  People disappoint, people hurt, people misunderstand, people sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Every single one of us lives in the same broken and fallen world. There is not a single one of us that doesn’t walk through hard at some point. 

Personally, there seems to be a lot of “hard” right now. In fact the last several weeks have been one of the hardest seasons of ministry I can remember. Not to mention some pretty hard family issues as well. I haven’t slept well, I haven’t eaten well, I haven’t exercised, I haven’t made the time to do those things that fill me up. I’ve struggled to read my Bible, I’ve struggled to pray, I’ve struggled to be still and listen. I’ve cried more times than I care to admit, I’ve been angrier than I’d like to admit. Everyday has been hard!

In an effort to get some sense of normalcy back, today, I forced myself out of bed early and hit the pavement for a morning run. It too was HARD! But it was so needed. Running is one of those things that provides clarity. It’s kind of hard to understand, but there is something about trying to keep my body moving and my lungs breathing that clears my thoughts. It forces me to pray, it forces me to depend on God. It’s not uncommon when I’m out on the streets, for these words start to form in my head and heart. More often than not, I come home and immediately pull out a journal or laptop to get the words in my head out. In some weird sort of way, once they are out-it’s then that I can move on. 

There are a few passages of scripture that are my “go-to” verses when hard seasons arise. Today the passage that came flooding to mind was John 21. It is here following Jesus’ crucifixion, we find Jesus’ disciples have gone back to their previous career of fishing. They were confused, sad and more than likely a little bit angry. So it makes sense that they’d go back to what they knew. They’d been out all night, catching nothing when Jesus called to them from the shore and told them to “cast the net on the right side of the boat”. When the haul of fish comes in Peter knows it’s Jesus, so he jumps in the water and swims to shore. Once on shore they have breakfast, then Jesus and Peter have what had to have been an intense conversation.  These few verses always seem to provide me with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity, a refocusing of heart and soul. 

You see, Peter is coming off a pretty big failure. He had denied Jesus three times, even after claiming he would die if he had to in order to follow Him. Then he watched His Savior and friend die. Talk about hard! Confusion and hurt can’t even begin to describe the emotions these men must have been feeling! Now, here they were eating together once again, when Jesus began to ask Peter some questions.  Three times Jesus says “Peter, do you love me?” Each time Peter replies “Yes Lord. You know I do!” After each response Jesus tells Peter to “feed my lambs and shepherd my sheep”. Ultimately Jesus tells Peter “Don’t worry about anyone else, you follow me”. There are so many reasons I love this particular passage, it is so full of meaning! It provides clarity of purpose. It’s like Jesus is saying “Life isn’t going  exactly how you thought it would go. It’s messy and confusing and sometimes you  get hurt. But there are people out there that I’ve put in your life. People that need to know my Truth, people that need Me. And I’m asking you, inviting you to care for those “sheep” I’ve put in your life. Will you join me?” (my paraphrase).

As a follower of Jesus, each and every one of us has a flock that needs tending. Those people that Jesus has put under our care and in our sphere of influence. God in his goodness has invited us to walk with and minister to our little flock. For some of us, those sheep are our own children. For others it may be children or students you see at school or church or on teams. For students, your flock can be friends and younger siblings. For others your flock may include other parents or neighbors. For those in full time ministry, our flocks often include co-workers and volunteers as well as those families that come to our churches and programs each week. Because the thing is –Everyone needs someone to point them to Jesus! Everyone needs Hope. Everyone needs love. Everyone needs a shepherd to point them to the One Perfect Shepherd. 

Is ministry life always going to be easy? More than likely no. Are there going to be hard times and hard people? Probably. Are you in this alone? Nope! John 14:26 tells us that we have a “helper or counselor-the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of all that Jesus has done.”. Are the hard times always going to be worth it? Without a doubt! Matthew 18:12-14  “What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

God is indeed good! Today I am so very thankful for the people I am blessed to do ministry with, to do life with, for the sheep that God has personally placed in my life-even those that tend to wander away from time to time. He is faithful and will not give up on anyone!