the Monday Morning Debrief: Feeling my age

I’m 38 years old with 4 children of my own.  Between the Disney and Nickelodeon shows, play dates and dinner table discussion, I’m well aware I’m not 21 anymore.  But, oftentimes because of my job as youth pastor, I feel like I am still in my 20s.  For you older youth ministers, do you feel like this at all?

Where I have an identity crisis is on weekends like last weekend where I was performing a wedding ceremony for a friend of mine.  He is significantly younger than me, in his early 20s and his friends all range from 22-25 years old.  After the rehearsal and dinner we all went back to the hotel and then the 20 somethings started acting like 20 somethings.  They wanted to go out into the wee hours of the night but all I could think about was my bed and the college football games happening the next day.

Have you ever had experiences like this before?  What do you do in these situations?

Maybe it is me, but I have this inner battle in my head.  I really struggle with the balance between being the mature, old man but also wanting hanging with the young guys.  I love being with the young guys because again, it helps me feel young and I’m comfortable doing it since I hang out with younger leaders and students all the time.  But I also know I have an opportunity and responsibility to the younger men to be a role model to them.  So where is the balance?

Have you ever felt this way?  How do you compensate?  What do you do in these situations?