Today I went into a local Tim Hortons to pick up some hot chocolate and a few Timbits. Not for me of course but for our youth group teens.You can probably guess where I am going going with this. There was a long lineup and I had to wait in line a long time. No, there was not a long line at all. I was not impatient at all, which I am grateful for.
I felt bad for one of the young people who was "in training". He was probably working his first shift ever and it was very confusing for him, it was fairly obvious. It was also evident that the supervisor had very little patience for him. In fact I would use the words "fed up". Her attitude really bothered me. In fact that bothered me more than the slow movement of the new employee.
I couldn't help but have a couple of thoughts. First, I felt sorry for this kid. He needed someone to come alongside him and help him. Secondly, I wondered how long he will last at this job if he is made to feel embarrassed and humiliated by those whose job it is to train him. He really needs someone who will be patient.
When it comes to helping teens, I want to be someone who comes alongside of them. I want to have patience with teens who have never been shown the right way to do things. I want to encourage them and not humiliate them.
Here is my challenge, the next time you see a "trainee", be patient with them, encourage them. The next time you see a teen who is struggling, do the right thing, have a Christlike attitude and come alongside them and see how you can help them. Do not humiliate them, help them to understand that somebody cares.
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