reminders of what is important

As I am sitting in my office trying to get important stuff done, like lessons and future planning, my mind keeps going backward to about 11am this morning. Why does my mind keep going back to this time? This was about the end time for a funeral I went to this morning. I did not know Edith. I do know, and care about, a lot of her family. She was 86 and has quite a great family still here. One of Edith's daughters and her husband were one of the families we stayed with when we were interviewing for this position. I co-teach the high school Sunday School with her granddaughter's husband. Two of her great-grandchildren are in the high school youth group. We live across the street from more of her family.

All day I have been thinking about the tears I saw. All I could do after the funeral was hug those who were crying. I could not take away the pain. I could not remove the sorrow. But I don't think I would, even if I could. Tears come from the love you have for a person and these tears were full of years of love.

As the youth minister for those two high schoolers, I hurt with them. (Not on the same level as they do, though) I hurt for them, too. Are the things I'm "doing" in youth ministry helping students learn to strive in life or am I just filling time?