Advent Devotions

Today’s author is Prince of Peace member Milt Warkentien.

I’ve been volunteering with the youth at PoP since 1988. I’ve now been able to see some of these youth as incredible parents, too. It’s always gratifying to get to see the youth I’ve worked with once they’re older, as there’s no guarantee how life’s journey will treat them, and it’s fun to catch up. I’ve also been fortunate to stay connected with many of them, and it’s always nice when they return to PoP. 

I’ve been asked many times how I can work with the youth so often and I usually say I don’t understand how they can’t. I feel the youth help keep me feeling young. I’ve learned so many things from the youth’s questions and watching them work with each other and those they’re just meeting. I’ve been to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and Wyoming, along with many states in between, if it was a road trip, and I’m grateful for all of them. Thank you to everyone who’ve supported the PoP youth over the years. Many of these trips were service oriented and the others had service areas in the trips. “Gods Work Our Hands” is a wonderful thing to see in anyone, but for me it’s a true joy to see youth learning about THEIR faith with the studies and service that they do on these trips. 

We had a youth director named Nathan a long time ago and I remember him asking me and the group if we’d be doing service projects when we got home. He pointed out that I’d be going back to my family and work, etc…, and wondered how my service project time would be allocated when I got back. He pointed out that going on a trip had adventure and you could feel good about helping others in a different state, but once you got back home would you still be as connected. This was a gut-wrenching question as I knew the answer was “Not near as much as I should “. What gets in your way of being God’s hands to the world? 

When you enter our church, I hope you’ve noticed Micah 6:8 written on the skylight in the entryway, “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” This was a favorite passage of Pastor Andrew Rogness, which is why it is in our entryway. What does this passage mean to you? How can your everyday life reflect this passage to the strangers, friends and colleagues you meet every day? 

On Wednesday I quoted Mother Teresa and I want to mention it again, “Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.”

The youth and chaperones of PoP, with your support, have had the chance to see how doing small things with great love can truly make a difference. They’ve been able to DO justice! They’ve been able to love kindness! They’ve been able to walk humbly with God. Most importantly they’ve been able to see, talk to, and reflect with others doing the same thing. What a wonderful way to be God’s hands to the world. 

I pray that we all live our lives being God’s hands to the world, and remember that no matter how hopeless things may appear, if we do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God, with great love, what may see inconsequential now, may become a great thing. Amen