My ministry has waned of late. Don't you love that word? "Wane". Even my own homophonous name connotes a diminishing of self. In the scope of ministry, I think a retreat of my self is a good idea. After all, it's not about me. Anyway, "wane" may not be quite accurate. My ministry has morphed from being formally one-on-one--notably mentoring, counseling, tutoring, etc.--to one more centered around service. Oddly, service was not a gift I considered myself having. I still minister one-on-one, of course, but it's very informal now. Perhaps this transition is the Lord's doing.

I don't mean to complain of my ministry--I enjoy it and gladly go where the Lord leads--but I do mean to complain about stupid people. In years past, I've been the victim of, say, obtuse self-interest. I've tutored students who, along with their parents, have taken advantage of me. I have never charged for ministry--never--yet I have been treated poorly. Students often fail to show up without any notice. Parents are often unsupportive or worse, unwilling to lift a finger to help their children succeed. Parents regularly complained about driving to my home for their child's tutoring--the only thing coming close to "payment" that I request, although I've made plenty of exceptions to that, too. I had one mother ask that I mentor her son, only to have her completely withdraw from relationship when she was told exactly what she requested to hear (the truth). Her reaction was 100% predictable, though, so I certainly wasn't surprised. In fact, all these reactions were quite predictable, but this didn't diminish my disgust. I've counseled people (at their request) who have done precisely the opposite of what the Lord advises, and they indeed reaped their undesired results. Duh. There was definitely a recurring theme of pointlessness to much of my ministry--not the effort or obedience but the results chosen by the ministered.

To be fair, some few have been grateful, and their gratitude is encouraging to me. As for the rest, I chalk it up to the immense disconnect between their stated, Christian values and their actually realized values. I now believe this disconnect, to a large degree though certainly not wholly, may be due to limitations more significant than what I'm used to. To the degree their mental limitations prohibit their social and spiritual maturity, I cannot hold them personally responsible.

Ungrateful boobs' social ineptness notwithstanding, I'm glad the Lord has taken my ministry in a new direction these last couple of years. I'm happy to shed the formerly too usual burden of serving jerks. My present ministry of service and informal one-on-one has been well received, and I am encouraged. I pray the Lord uses my obedience--however horribly imperfect--to bring about good fruit.