Reflections for Youth - Jeremiah and Suprise Snow Days

Anyone else a little stir crazy from the cold?  The weather this week has certainly caused a disruption in our weekly routines.  Schools were closed, stuff was canceled. I hid on my couch under a blanket pretending that it was not that cold out there.

This week I have been thinking about the winters when I was a kid and how we used to sit by the radio to find out if our school had been closed for a snow day.  I remember the times that it was most exciting were the days when we were not expecting it at all.  Those mornings when it snowed over night and you wake up to your school's name being read by the voice on the radio.

Hooray!

Snow day!

 I remember on those mornings listening for a whole extra half hour when the news break would come around again just so I could hear the announcement again and make sure. 

 I love a good surprise.

Sometimes though,  surprises can catch us totally off guard and we need a minute to catch up, catch our breath, and figure our how to process what's happening.

That's was the case for Jeremiah - who gets surprised by God who is calling him to be a prophet.  Our Old Testament scripture for this week is one of the most familiar call stories in the Bible. Call stories are stories in which God calls people to do something or to be something - called to a task, a role, or given a message to relay to the people of God.  

Jeremiah is an Old Testament book of prophecy written around the time Israel was conquered by Babylon.  Remember, in the Bible -  prophecy isn’t about predicting the future. Instead, it’s a word from God to warn us of consequences when we’re treating others in unjust ways and to promise us that God also restores and rebuilds.

Read Jeremiah 1: 4-10

When Jeremiah was just a boy, God spoke to him and told him that he was going to be a prophet.  

The people that God chose to be prophets were usually a surprise. They were not usually the best preachers or the most honored family members. God often spoke to the most least likely people to be prophets.

And when God spoke to Jeremiah and told him he was going to tell all sorts of people about God—Jeremiah was really surprised.

He said to God: ”Wait - what?"
And so God and Jeremiah has a big chat.

“Jeremiah,” God said. “I knew you before you were even born. And you were born to be a prophet.

Jeremiah said, “I am just a kid! I have no idea what to say to grown-ups.”

God said, “We’ll do it together. Where you go, I will go with you. When you talk, I’ll give you the words.”  And then there's that whole part about how God touches his lips and tells him that his mouth will be full of God's words. I love that part. 

We are all like Jeremiah because we sometimes feel like we don’t know what to say—especially especially when we are taken by surprise. But God's words to Jeremiah in this passage remind us that  God is always with us.  And what ever it is, we can do it together.  

Some things to think about this week: 

• When have you been surprised by God?
• What are some doubts you sometimes have about your abilities? 
• How might God be empowering you past your doubts?
• When this week can you take a moment to breathe,  catch up, and listen to ways God is working in the world?