Today I had the privilege of spending two hours at the Depart of Human Services (this is where people go to get food stamps and such) with one of our mother's at The Restoration House.
It was amazing to sit there with her, her daughter, and two different case managers. The first one concerning food stamps didn't take any time. The second case manager handles her Families First (TANF) case. This was a whole other story.
As I chased her daughter up and down the hall (she is only one and this is to be expected) I was able to interject into the conversation and help unscramble some of the coded language being used.
I have to trust that the case manager's heart is good about what she does but it just seems that every explanation and every answer was so canned. There were times where there were grouse misunderstandings happening all because the case manager wasn't taking the time to really listen and process what the mother was saying to her. It really was all very sad.
I know the case manager sees all kinds of people come through there and has probably been working there for years. When she was hired she probably had incredible visions of helping to rescue people from their negative choices and desperate situations. Over time it seems she has lost most of that original passion and desire.
So here's my question, "How do we protect ourselves from that?" I mean Mandy and I currently have that original passion, drive, and vision for our families, but how do we keep it over the next year, five years, ten years???
I don't want to wake up one day and find that though I'm still doing the job, I really don't have the relationship...
2 comments:
good thought, man. i think we almost all struggle with that, whether in ministry or not. i know i'm pretty bored and unfulfilled with my current job. but there were also times in ministry where i remember feeling the same way. in your situation, your involved hands-on, daily, implementing life change in young families that maybe wouldn't have had a chance otherwise, so i feel confident that watching that life change happen, day after day, month after month, year after year, will provide all the passion and motivation you guys need!
You know, I think a benefit you and Mandy have is you are working with people who have the same passion for a relationship, not the government on your back telling you have to see so many people a day and write a book in triplicate for each one before you can go home. You are also helping people who want to stop making negative choices and don't want to be in this "system" anymore. But the whole key to not losing the relationship is you have Jesus as your leader, not some government talking head. I heard a good quote on the radio yesterday that sounded something like this, "Ministry is to build up people, not for people to build up ministry."
Post a Comment