I am glad it doesn't depend on me

Last Wednesday night was one of the hardest teaching times for me. It wasn't hard because I teaching on a difficult topic. It wasn't hard because I didn't prepare. It wasn't hard because I was tired. It was hard because of all the interruptions.

At the beginning of each youth group I take up all the cell phones so that students will not text each other and so that they will not ring during my teaching time. However, this night would be different.

When I start to talk I normally have to find my rhythm which will allow me to teach the material correctly and not say something I shouldn't which I am very prone to do. For last Wednesday, I could never find my rhythm. A cell phone was on vibrate and went off in the middle of a story. About 1 minute later it went off again. I am thinking things are okay, but about 5 minutes later one of the junior highers is turning around in his seat making hand motions to the person behind him. The junior higher sitting across the isle from him starts opening his Bible and slamming it shut.

I finally finished and dismissed everybody to small group time. I was a little frustrated as I thought this talk would be one that the students would really like and that I felt very comfortable teaching on.

I sat in with the junior high small group and I could tell in listening to their discussion they understand the message. I got a little excited as I thought to myself "if the junior highers understood, I bet the high schoolers did as well." When small group was over and we were putting everything up both high school small group leaders told me they had great discussion in their groups and that their students really enjoyed the message.

To hear a great report from all the small groups that the message was communicated clearly and they understood it made me very happy. I am so glad that the success of a message does not depend on me, but entirely on the Holy Spirit. If left up to me, then the night would have been a disaster and the message lost. Thankfully, I rely on the Holy Spirit and he can overcome cell phones and Bibles slamming and still speak to his children.