Confessions of a Youth Pastor

Another confession…this one actually hurts. My pride can’t take many confessions like these, but I’m hoping after I put this out there that I will realize some serious truths about myself. But I guess I need to start with Saturday morning for this to make sense.

As most of you know I usually play basketball on Saturday mornings. Well, I didn’t get up with Nolan (my ballin’ partner) so I ended up going mountain bike riding with our worship leader, Russell. I have never been, but I’m always looking for the next adventure and plus this would help with my “Get in Shape” campaign. We took off up the mountain at Lake Leatherwood. I should have known by the name that this was not a good idea. I had no clue what to expect. I mean you can’t believe how clueless I was, but I was quickly informed as Russell dived off the main road into the woods and I was embraced by no small hill. This thing was a beast. I could feel my manhood slipping out from my grasp as I realized there was no climbing this mountain on a bike. So I jumped off and began the trek on foot. When it finally leveled off the fun began. I was dipping and dodging trees, up down the small ramp like hills, and then disaster struck. As you read this feel free to laugh, but please know that when this disaster struck it wasn’t funny. I mean Russell didn’t even laugh it looked SO BAD. If he doesn’t laugh…something is wrong. Russell is maybe 20 yards ahead of me so I really can’t see what to expect next. I then go straight down this 10 foot cliff. The back of my bike flies up and over the handle bars I fly. Funny right?? Yeah it was until I braced myself by hitting this tree, it then proceeded to break, and I landed full force chest first into the knife shaped stump I created. I was laying thinking I was about to die because I felt like my chest cavity was split. Russell thought the tree had punctured my body and was actually inside of me…it was literally the worst pain I had ever felt. He ran over to me and slowly rolled me over…like he was a trained medic or something. As he rolled me my shoulder began to pop and he comforted be by saying, “Well, your shoulder is either broken or it was dislocated and you just popped it back in place.” It turns out the latter was the verdict. I couldn’t breathe or feel my arm, but managed to get on my feet and walk off the mountain. The ER doctor told me to expect some serious muscle spasms as the tissue and cartilage I disintegrated begins to grow back together. I have a major whole in my chest and bruising all over my body.

What’s the confession? I’m not the 17 year old I once was. I think that is one of the most heartbreaking truths I must realize. When I was 17 there was nothing I couldn’t do. I was in shape, the metabolism was up, and the body was strong. It’s my fault because I know 50 year olds that are in better shape than I am. I always think of Larry Pitchford walking down Dothan Rd. scaring me because he was in such good shape. Resolution?? I’m getting in shape before I do anymore dumb things…