The Life of an Underage Preacher.

I just returned from the hospital where I visited a church member who just had her second child. Her husband was temporarily out of the room, so when the doctor walked in he saw a young girl and a young guy, he naturally assumed the young guy was the father. After a few awkward comments, which caused me to stare at the ground while my forehead perspired profusely, the doctor told me what a great job I did. I didn't want to sound like one of those guys on Maury Povich who celebrate that the baby is not theirs, but I had to say something. I finally interrupted him and informed him that I am the preacher not the father.

This isn't as bad as an invitation response that happened the first month I was at my church. A teenage girl responded after my sermon by coming to sit on the front pew to speak with someone. I soon sat next to her and attempted to minister to her. She completely ignored me. I sat there stunned by this rejection and soon motioned for one of my elders to speak with her since she was obviously having nothing to do with me. She talked to him, and he ministered to her wonderfully. When the service ended and most people had existed the auditorium, this girl and her mother waved me over to speak with them. With a good bit of hesitancy I walked over to them. The mother apologized to me while her shy daughter stood silently by her side. The mother then explained that her daughter thought I was just a “cute boy hitting on her” which caused her to ignore me. Moments like this remind me just how much some people listen to preaching.