Upstream Thinking
Please take a second and read this story. I promise, there will be a point.
"I am standing by the shore of a a swiftly flowing river and hear the cry of a drowning man. I jump into the cold waters. I fight against the strong current and force my way to the struggling man. I gold on hard and gradually pull him to shore. I lay him out on the bank and revive him with artificial respirations. Just when he begins to breathe, I hear another cry for help. I jump into the cold waters. I fight against the strong current, and swim forcefully to the struggling woman. I grab hold and gradually pull her to shore. I lift her out onto the bank beside the man and work to revive her with artificial respiration. Just when she begins to breathe, I hear another cry for help. I jump into the cold waters. Fighting again against the strong current, I force my way to the struggling man. I am getting tired, so with great effort I eventually pull him to shore. I lay him out on the bank and try to revive him with artificial respiration. Just when he begins to breathe, I hear another cry for help. Near exhaustion, it occurs to me that I'm so busy jumping in, pulling them to shore, applying artificial respiration that I have no time to see who is upstream pushing them all in..." (Partial excerpt from a story told by Irving Zola)
As I read this aloud in one of my nursing classes, the purpose was clear in its relevance to my future practice as a nurse. The classroom lesson was to understand what upstream thinking means, pointing out that modifying factors that precipitate or lead to a problem can change the outcomes. But I learned another lesson that renewed a theme within me.
As a follower of Christ who truly began walking with The Lord in my late teens, I can testify that I had known The Lord and loved Him at an earlier point. I tasted of Him at a young age and knew He was good. But, when my community of faith and abundant righteous influences became few, I began to stumble and then eventually fall away on my path.
I now spend most of my time in youth ministry, particularly junior high ministry, as the wife of a youth pastor. I would say that most of my energy goes into that ministry through prayer, support to my husband, attending and serving at church and so on and so forth but I can see clearly that youth ministry is the playing out of upstream thinking. We are looking at my generation in their late teens and early 20's far away from the church. Of course, I see a ton of them in church but that's because I am there. On campus, at bars, everywhere else I go, I actually see my cohort angry and frustrated with Christianity. Looking upstream, so much of this comes from youth ministry (either lacking or ever-present but ineffective).
As I said before, I was zealous for The Lord, aware of His being and love but then I was no longer in middle school, attending summer camps and church events. There was no retention and then even when I did seek it out, the rules and judgement turned me away. The was no one trying to do life with me or help me learn about the Word but rather a bunch of clusters of kids who misbehaved all week long but sang on Sundays and had fun at camp. I saw very little intentionality until I really allowed The Lord to change me and lead me to an intentional community. And even then, it was my most "Christian" of friends who we confused by the change.
What youth ministry, and every ministry I have seen or been a part of, can really use is more upstream thinking. Life changing conversations happen all the time and in those conversations and testimonies, people reveal the factors that led them astray usually without prompting. So why are we not listening.
When someone indicates what led them on their prodigal path, why are we not listening. If we can listen to our students and friends and coworkers and patients and neighbors we can see the things we need to rectify in the Kingdom of God! We can know what to pray for! We can know where to target our ministry.
Today I can see a great need in targeting youth (as they are future) especially because I was one who was not retained. If I can change and pray in that direction then I can maybe save on young lady the hurt and pain and baggage I have endured. Upstream thinking. In the church. It has to happen. In nursing, it is saving lives and improving the quality of life. In the church, it is salvation.
"I am standing by the shore of a a swiftly flowing river and hear the cry of a drowning man. I jump into the cold waters. I fight against the strong current and force my way to the struggling man. I gold on hard and gradually pull him to shore. I lay him out on the bank and revive him with artificial respirations. Just when he begins to breathe, I hear another cry for help. I jump into the cold waters. I fight against the strong current, and swim forcefully to the struggling woman. I grab hold and gradually pull her to shore. I lift her out onto the bank beside the man and work to revive her with artificial respiration. Just when she begins to breathe, I hear another cry for help. I jump into the cold waters. Fighting again against the strong current, I force my way to the struggling man. I am getting tired, so with great effort I eventually pull him to shore. I lay him out on the bank and try to revive him with artificial respiration. Just when he begins to breathe, I hear another cry for help. Near exhaustion, it occurs to me that I'm so busy jumping in, pulling them to shore, applying artificial respiration that I have no time to see who is upstream pushing them all in..." (Partial excerpt from a story told by Irving Zola)
As I read this aloud in one of my nursing classes, the purpose was clear in its relevance to my future practice as a nurse. The classroom lesson was to understand what upstream thinking means, pointing out that modifying factors that precipitate or lead to a problem can change the outcomes. But I learned another lesson that renewed a theme within me.
As a follower of Christ who truly began walking with The Lord in my late teens, I can testify that I had known The Lord and loved Him at an earlier point. I tasted of Him at a young age and knew He was good. But, when my community of faith and abundant righteous influences became few, I began to stumble and then eventually fall away on my path.
I now spend most of my time in youth ministry, particularly junior high ministry, as the wife of a youth pastor. I would say that most of my energy goes into that ministry through prayer, support to my husband, attending and serving at church and so on and so forth but I can see clearly that youth ministry is the playing out of upstream thinking. We are looking at my generation in their late teens and early 20's far away from the church. Of course, I see a ton of them in church but that's because I am there. On campus, at bars, everywhere else I go, I actually see my cohort angry and frustrated with Christianity. Looking upstream, so much of this comes from youth ministry (either lacking or ever-present but ineffective).
As I said before, I was zealous for The Lord, aware of His being and love but then I was no longer in middle school, attending summer camps and church events. There was no retention and then even when I did seek it out, the rules and judgement turned me away. The was no one trying to do life with me or help me learn about the Word but rather a bunch of clusters of kids who misbehaved all week long but sang on Sundays and had fun at camp. I saw very little intentionality until I really allowed The Lord to change me and lead me to an intentional community. And even then, it was my most "Christian" of friends who we confused by the change.
What youth ministry, and every ministry I have seen or been a part of, can really use is more upstream thinking. Life changing conversations happen all the time and in those conversations and testimonies, people reveal the factors that led them astray usually without prompting. So why are we not listening.
When someone indicates what led them on their prodigal path, why are we not listening. If we can listen to our students and friends and coworkers and patients and neighbors we can see the things we need to rectify in the Kingdom of God! We can know what to pray for! We can know where to target our ministry.
Today I can see a great need in targeting youth (as they are future) especially because I was one who was not retained. If I can change and pray in that direction then I can maybe save on young lady the hurt and pain and baggage I have endured. Upstream thinking. In the church. It has to happen. In nursing, it is saving lives and improving the quality of life. In the church, it is salvation.
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