Epic Fail

Man I really blew it this time. Yesterday will go down in history as probably one of the worst personal days I have ever lived. I won't bore you with all the details but allow me to sum up the situation.

I have really bad allergies that I am fighting. Whenever the weather shifts drastically like it did this week from cold to warm, I get all stuffed up and miserable. This is accompanied by a headache from all the pressure...it's just awful.

So with all that we had Youth Group last night. In hind sight that was a mistake. I was in no position or condition mentally, emotionally or physically to teach and love on the students that came. In addition there was an Ash Wednesday service at the church so we were trying to be quite so as not to disturb what was going on upstairs. The result was an Epic Fail of an evening. I was short with some of the student, I did not speak in love and couldn't even finish my lesson, Ms Abby had to jump in and save me, but more importantly I failed to fulfill the mission that we strive for every Wednesday night.

We strive to create a loving, safe and God honoring environment for the students and I didn't do that plain and simple.

I can make any excuse in the book but the bottom line is I was out of line. I have some major apologizing to do to the group as a whole but also to some individual students.

I say all this to now say this. My experience last night is what happens when we try to rely on our own strength and not on God's. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians of a problem he was having. He asks God to take it away from him three times but God's response is, "My Grace is sufficient." God is saying don't rely on your own strength, rely on mine. Don't fight your battle alone, bring me in and fight for you.

Last night I should have prayed...hard...before group, that God would be my strength to teach and love on these students, especially in my weakened condition.

I want to encourage you in whatever situation you are in, don't rely on your strength, rely on God for your strength. When you do things on your own without God, bad things happen. God's grace is sufficient for us, I pray that we would rely on Him.

May our LORD be with you
Josh