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RE: just wondering...

Kelvin, I can identify with you, not so much about hating my job, but I know
how you feel about working with youth.  I produce our Sunday night Student
Impact teen service and am in charge of the creative team for our ministry.
I know how blessed I am just for having the privilege of being around the
students at Impact every Sunday night (and other activities in between).
I've been working with this ministry for four years, and I've seen it grow
from a small gathering of kids to one of the largest youth programs in this
part of the Atlanta area.  I don't know if I'd be so committed to ministry
if I didn't do what I do.  I'm just grateful for:

Brett, my godson, whom I have known literally all his life.  In many ways, I
had a hand in raising him.  I just beam with pride to have him working
alongside me on my production team and to see him leading a midweek Bible
study.

Chante, who heads up my creative team.  She's such a natural leader and a
great encourager and motivator.  She takes a great load off all that I have
to do.

Amy, so new in her faith, so new at this.  She brings so many friends
around, just to show them the joy she's discovered.

Brandon, my "right-hand" man in sound & production.  I've known him just
about all his life, and he's growing to be one of my best friends.  He's a
real leader among our kids, which is amazing for a ninth grader.

I could go on for pages and pages about the amazing kids we have; that's
where I have "the thing in my eyes."

Chris



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-over-the-rhine at actwin_com
[mailto:owner-over-the-rhine at actwin_com]On Behalf Of Kelvin Bailey
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 10:40 PM
To: Over-the-Rhine at actwin_com
Subject: Re: just wondering...



--- Amy Joy Eversole <amy_smiley at hotmail_com> wrote:
has there ever been anything in your
> eyes?  the kind of
> passion that wont let go until youve followed it
> and done something about
> it

yeah, I know that "thing".
Sometimes it burns.
Sometimes that hurts.

It 's the thing that drives me, compels me, helps me
tolerate 40 hours a week of drudgery.  It's the one
thing I could see myself diving head first into and
never swimming out of.

Except...

"Your too old"
"You don't have the right degree."
"It's too late for you."
"But you're so good at what you're doing now."

Damn that thing in my eyes.

Tonight I'm riding back from seeing 'the Count of
Monte Cristo' with a couple of friends, hearing them
talk about their jobs.

Billie is a doctor.  Right now she is at Norton
Hospital supervising residents.  She will probably
very soon be in an assistant professorship in which
she splits her time between teaching and working in an
inner-city clinic.  She's a pediatrician.  She's
younger than I am.

Adam is a social worker with Seven Counties.  He's
also working on his masters.  Currently he's doing his
internship - counseling in a Catholic grade school.
He made great progress today - got to close a case
successfully.  That's what he wants to do with his
life.  He's doing it.  He's younger than I am.

Somewhere along the way I screwed up.  Bad advice.
Bad decisions.  Luck of the Irish.  Whatever.  So I go
to work everyday looking forward to five o'clock as if
it were the rapture.  Then I go home.  But on
Wednesday evenings, Sunday evenings, Spring break and
other times, I get to pour my life into the most
exciting group of people on earth - teenagers,
hopefully making an impact.  Travis emailed me
yesterday from UK.  Says my influence changed him.
Jon emailed me from WKU.  Says he was asked to list
the 3 most influential people in his life.  I made the
cut.  So I must be doing something right.  But why do
I have to waste 2000 hours a year in a job I dislike
in order to follow that "thing in my eyes", even
though I'm convinced I'll never be able to "do
anything about it?"

Sorry...the Count of LifeWay Campus Bookstore is a bit
introspective tonight.


kelvin


=====
What if the hokey-pokey really IS what it's all about?!?

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