I love being a youth minister's wife. I love working with students. But like anything we do there are some challenges and some life style adjustments we make to make things happen. Here are a few.
1. You schedule your pregnancies around youth camp. Being down one parent every other week for 2 months is difficult enough, no need to add a newborn to the picture.
2. You potty train your children...at youth camp. Even the teenagers knew where her potty and her rewards were.
3. Super Summer...when the hubs is gone 7 days instead of 5 with no opportunity to visit mid week for a break from single parenting...super.
4. When they give out the "mother with the most children award" on Mother's Day at church and you start counting the teenagers on the pew in front of you and figure unless the Duggars show up you've got this thing in the bag.
5. When your toddler says "crap" in the church nursery and you let the nursery workers assume she heard it from the teenagers...even though you know where she REALLY heard it...mental note to self stop saying "crap".
6. You only have 1 child but buy a SUV with a third row so you have more room for all the teenagers you pick for church.
7. You celebrate your wedding anniversary at church camp, VBS or alone b/c the hubs is at Super Summer...see #3...again super.
8. You take vacation time from work to go to youth camp.
9. Your kids get mad the first year you send them to their grandparent's house instead of taking them to camp with you because they don't know they not really in the youth group.
10. Taking students home after church becomes a game to beat your best time and not cross the midline of town more than once. Students are divided based on gender and location. Who takes which vehicle is based on who has to take more students home. (PS I love picking up and dropping off students)
LOVED this! I've been a youth sponsor / youth minister's wife for 12 years, and I totally get it! I would like to add one. #11: Some teenagers have claimed couches and chairs in your home as their "bedroom" since they sleep over so often. (okay, so I'd like to add two.) #12: You have students over at your house more evenings during the week than you have just your family.
ReplyDeleteHello, my husband and I are co youth pastors. At our church none of the pastors are paid. So, we both have paid full time jobs in other careers. I really can relate to driving teens everywhere. Life in full time minitstry can be both challenging and crazy. Amidst the crazy I feel like my husband and I have found a way to live a sabbath life style and have a good life rhythm going. Here is a link to my latest blog post that I think you will enjoy. https://inquisitiveadventures.wordpress.com
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