By Pierson Castor 5/3/2024
I never sought a position in youth ministry. I loved discipleship; I loved leading Bible studies. But youth ministry? No, that’s for a special kind of person—one with a divine calling. That’s what I thought six months ago, before my “divine calling” came in the form of a REYS job posting. The roles and responsibilities described matched so many of my ministry experiences in college. I was desperate for a new job, so I thought, “Why not apply?” Later, when I accepted the role, I found myself excited for the work ahead. Still, I never would have imagined all the joy it would bring. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Stepping into this role, I knew my biggest hurdle would be working with children of all ages, but it’s become my favorite part of the job! Six months ago, I never would have imagined myself in youth ministry. Today, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. It’s easy to look back—knowing where you are—and see the Lord’s work in getting you there. That’s why Scripture so frequently points to Israel’s past, because it is through a historical lens that we see redemption at work. God usually isn’t working within our timelines; after all, He created time itself. So what if—in addition to seeing God’s hand in the past—we trusted His hand in the present? What if we trusted that we are exactly where God wants right now? It’s a challenge because we typically want to be further along than we are. But if God is working everything together for our good and His glory, then we don’t have to worry about messing up His plan. We just have to be ready for Him to mess up ours.