Qualified

“In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think that we have done the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our evident lack of qualification, then there’s no danger that we will confuse God’s work with our own, or God’s glory with our own.”

-Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art

Something I have been considering very deeply lately is this quote , and how it applies to my sweet youth group. I am in no way qualified as a youth group leader. I didn’t go to seminary , for example. As a woman, many people would be concerned about me leading anything at church, and as a person I their thirties, many people might think I’m too old. Aren’t youth group leaders supposed to be Seminary Bros, just passing time until they get Called to be a Lead Pastor ?

And yet.

This is the deep work that matters. I love each and every child that attends our youth group. It is an honor to teach them.

It is work, but it is the soul filling kind of work where you know that what you’re doing really matters and is making a difference in people’s lives.

I’ve volunteered for many things over the years, but none of them felt like a good fit. I was happy to serve , but they didn’t fill my soul in the same way.

So I wonder, for those of us inclined to serve, to lead, to give of our time and our resources and our energy… are we willing to try different avenues until we find the very best? I wonder , are we willing to serve in vastly different ways than we feel qualified to? Because we may just find that is exactly where we were meant to be all along.