Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Typical Youth Ministry Choices

On Friday, I took my asssitant, James, out to PF Changs with a couple of other MC students that have been blasting it out of the park. After stopping by the apartments, I get a call from one of them telling me there has been a four car pile up and three of them are MC students. Long story short, a lady slammed on her breaks ... MC student 1 hit MC student 2, which resulted in MC student 2 hitting MC student 3, which resulted in MC student 3 hitting the lady who slammed on her breaks. It was all bumper damage (with MC student 1 pretty much losing his). I was about 5 minutes behind them, so I pulled up to check when I found out one of the students driving had an issue with his license that they were in midst of clearing up. They were as nervous as a cat before a shower. What do you do? I've got four MC students by the road (one had another student with them) and I'm supposed to be at the church to help run Cadre orientation within 30 minutes. Everyone else was slammed with Retreat orientation. I call Jeanne and tell her, "I can get to the church or stay with them until the cops show up and see what they are going to do with MC student 2 and their driver's licenses issue, I prefer the later." She says stay. Long story short, they take MC student 2 to the country jail to run some routine checks. I make the hand-off to a support staff who had finished up with retreat orientation and I'm off to pick up the late arrivals for Cadre and the retreat center. I'm still not sure if I did the "right" thing by staying because Cadre orientation just went semi-smooth and not like clockwork. However, if I had to do it over again, I'm not sure I would do anything differently.

4 comments:

Karen McFarland said...

Friend in my opinion you did the right thing. Even though the orientation only went semi-smooth, it would have not been like you to have been anywhere else at that moment...that's what I love about you! Even though there is conflict of where you are needed most, it's easier to hand off papers to capable people than to hand off people who need you. Miss you!

Bridget said...

I think if I was in that situation and I asked myself, "What would Judy do?", that I would have thought to stay with the students because that's what you always teach. The students needed you, so you were there for them. I agree with Karen. That's what we love about you.

Phil said...

Hmmm - student or program. I vote student. And I agree with Karen and Bridget that is no surprise that was your heart also.

kcobb said...

Judy

I am with the others who think you made the right choice. I think "being the church" with your students is more important than the program!

My wife and I love PF Changs and don't have one within an hour of us :(