Being a Youth Pastor's Kid

This past Sunday night we did a silly mixer with some of our adult leaders called 2 Truths and 1 Lie.  Basically you sit 3 people in front of a group, have them share 3 statements about themselves and then students try to guess what the lie is.  It can be fun and quirky & it always seems to be a challenge we've done well with the adults and or students we've put up front.
The funny, or not so funny, thing this past weekend was I had a NO-SHOW volunteer (shocker right?) that was supposed to be one of the contestants.  Since he didn't' come I filled in.  One of my truth statements was "I've been arrested".  Now we all have pasts and grace is beautiful,  but sharing that truth & then the story later to the crowd of high school students beginning for the backstory was my kids were in the room.


That's right, the night my 8 & 7 year old visited a ministry night was the night their dad revealed to them I've been arrested.  This was something I knew I'd tell them at some point in time in their life but I didn't want them to find out THAT WAY.


So here is my learnings:
1- Know your audience! I had a good reminder of "do the quick room scan before you say something like that" moment.


2- I sat my kids down at breakfast on Monday & told them the truth.  The whole story of me getting arrested.  I let them ask questions & I answered them 100%.  I asked them how it made them feel & I reminded them that nobody is perfect & everybody needs Jesus.  I honestly felt it was a great Dad & Sons moment even though I don't know totally how they processed it.


3- I had to wrestle with my own doubts & voices saying things like "now your kids think you're a screw-up" & "what a moron...letting your kids find out about your stupidity as a teenager".  I had to stop those voices and listen for God's voice.  I'm not trying to over spiritualize this but I was reminded of the grace of Jesus in my own life and wanted to let it be a model for my sons.


4- I had to answer a phone call from a parent who "was surprised to find the youth pastor had a record (it expunged at age 18)".  I just told the parent they'd be really surprised if they knew how I used to live & what I did get away with :)....and yes those will be stories to my kids at a later date