My first “shadowing” session with the kids’ ministry at my church is today, the day this article is published.
I have no idea how it will go. I don’t know whether I’ll enjoy it, be frustrated by it, or feel like a fish out of water. But the only way to find out will be to do it.
Getting to this point took me over a year.
I’d been thinking about how I might serve at my church. There are tons of opportunities, and I didn’t know which to apply for. With my bad back I didn’t want to direct traffic on Sundays. I thought about being a greeter, serving coffee, and security. I looked at how long I’d have to stand, whether I’d need to be there before and after the service, and how many times a month I’d be committing to.
I didn’t want to volunteer for something, end up disliking it, and then feel bad about quitting. This verse came to mind:
He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Recently, I heard that they were looking for men to help with the kids’ ministry. I haven’t been around children in ages, but I felt led to apply. I joined a group tour to see the different age groups. I didn’t want infants (diapers) or terrible twos (screaming fits), but I thought elementary school kids might be interesting to help with.
So I applied, passed a background check, and was accepted.
If it doesn’t work out, I’ll look for another opportunity, but maybe it will be the best thing I’ve done in a while. I spend a lot of my time talking to older men, so this might be a fun change.
Endless research
Research is necessary. But it’s easy to get hooked on the feeling of productivity that can come from researching something and never get around to doing something.
This can apply to all sorts of things, not just work. Endless scrolling on dating apps without connecting with anyone. With Amazon, even a $50 purchase can take us hours to reach a decision while we read endless reviews and summaries and compare prices. I’d hate to tell you how much time I spent deciding on which garden hose or lawn sprinkler to buy.
Researching something feels like we’re being productive. But the research needs to lead to action.
This can sometimes be driven by a fear of making the wrong decision.
Bad decisions
I’ve made my fair share of bad decisions, and I’m still here. The wrong motorcycle. Bad investments (I bought a ton of shady altcoins in 2021 and held them all the way down and below where I started). Poor choices in dating. Some choices were worse than others, but eventually I moved past them all and now they’re just part of my history.
You will make bad decisions. Decisions like which volunteer role to take or which workout routine to follow are easy to change. Even when the stakes are bigger, when you make a wrong decision, there’s usually a way to pivot.
Don’t use research or educating yourself about something as the reason to avoid doing the “something.”
If you’re researching the best possible, most optimized workout routine, go to the gym and lift something. You can fine tune your routine along the way.
If you’re trying to find the best diet to help you lose weight, start with cutting the sugary snacks and logging what you eat. Figure it out as you go.
If you haven’t been able to decide on a church by reading their websites, just pick one and go next Sunday. If it’s not a fit, try another one the next week.
If you’ve been researching motorcycles online for a year, go to a dealer this week and take a test ride. You’ll learn more about a bike in 10 minutes of riding than you will watching an hour of YouTube videos.
By the time you read this, I’ll be with the kids’ ministry, figuring it out as I go.
Vic built and sold ScreenRant.com and GameRant.com, then rebuilt himself in his sixties.
He writes at TheRedeemedSecondHalf.com for men rebuilding the second half of life.
Related:
One Question That Can Cut Your Pressure in Half
You’ve got four or five projects spinning. You sit down at the desk intending to make progress on one of them. Instead you work haphazardly for a couple of hours, then check out completely. You get that deer-in-the-headlights look and tell yourself you just need a break.
I hope the volunteering goes well. I'm getting back to serving as well. My back led me to work with the offering team and post-service counting. There's always a way.