photo credit: http://in.socialtimes.me/articles/2013-01-11/official-oscar-app-launched-on-android-and-amazon
I watched about half of the Oscars, after The Walking Dead of course. and I reflected on some of the speeches. I love Jennifer Lawrence of Hunger Games fame and now an Oscar winner for Silver Linings Playbook. She is young and unpretentious and her speech was honest and heartfelt. Some use this speech time to slip in political statements like Marlon Brando’s no show at the 1973 Oscars. As believers in the ultimate rewarder of faith, we should learn from the former rather than grandstand like the latter.
For youth workers, and all believers, our “Oscars” wait for us on the other side of this life, but that does not mean we should not be living our speeches now. Here are a few things we should draw from many of the Oscar speeches of 2013
- Remember to thank those who got you to where you are (those who believed in you and gave you a chance)
- Remember to thank those who helped you make it happen (your volunteers)
- Remember to thank the previous generation of youth workers for blazing a trail for us.
- Remember to thank your family. These are often the least thanked but most vital to why we are able to do what we do. They sacrifice so we can minister to kids.
- Remember to be humble for any accolade you may receive. I am thankful for any comment, retweet, and FB like I get. If you see a frog on top of a pole, remember it did not get there by itself.
The best advice of the night came from Ben Affleck, snubbed in the best director category, “They taught me not to hold grudges”. As Christians, we have many opportunities to be offended, bitter, and form grudges. Ben Affleck proved you can be classy and classy wins in the end.
Go out and now live your Oscar speech even if you never win anything. Stay classy youth workers, God has your reward waiting for you.
Did you watch the Oscars? Were you inspired, offended, or amazed with any of the speeches? Let me know below.