Strengthen Me...

"Strengthen me, O Lord, with your holy spirit..."
Elizabeth has asked me to do a really hard thing. She would like me to sign on as an adult sponsor for one of the young confirmands currently studying to become a confirmed member of the Episcopal Church next May. Being a sponsor would mean meeting with my confirmand a half dozen times during the next few months, engaging them in conversation about their faith (Elizabeth will provide me with the 'conversation-starter' questions) and attending a church service with him/her at a church other than an Episcopal one. I can certainly make the time to do this. So what's the big deal?? The idea of working with kids and being a faith role model terrifies me! Although I love kids, their curiosity, their energy..I've never thought of myself as being particularly good at relating to them. I keep having flashbacks to teaching Jr.-Sr. Sunday school class when Sunni and Scott were in those grades. It was SO hard and I vowed to never put myself thru that misery again! Middle school was a hard time with Travis...I wasn't sure either of us would survive his 'smart mouth' so typical of those early teen years. And, I keep hearing echoes of past criticism of my skills with kids from someone whom I believed was correct in his assessment. Then there's my almost total lack of knowledge about what it means to be Episcopal...actually the kids could teach me a lot! I've thought about this; I've prayed about it. Elizabeth and I will talk about whether I'm the right person for this service to God, for this ministry. In the meantime, I'll continue to ask God for His direction.