the    sides

Saturday Afternoon

Morning session was great – Robert really set the table for our Life Groups.  I’m starting to hear some of the cool stories.  Right now – they are stories of hurt and frustration.  Stories of being misunderstand and ignored.  It’s the best reason in the world to work with students to see these stories get transformed…to see Love have the final word.

It also mind blowing at how young people get wounded.  It’s amazing how screwed up adults can screw up a student’s life and God still heals and pulls off a miracle in spite of it all.  Again – the best place to see God do miracles – in the lives of students.  

My kids are out here.  It’s the first time I’ve ever brought them to a youth retreat…I know, 15 years of student ministry and this is the first one.  It’s been a mixed bag.

I can’t fully engage and focus on students like normally – because I’ve got a 7 and 5 year old around.  BUT – some of students love it.  They love playing and wrestling and laughing with them.

The other thing is this – while my kids have a vocabulary that most kids their age don’t (ie – suck, crap, bites, what the heck, rolling of eyes, etc.), they get to see and hang out with teens who are trying to follow Jesus as best as they can.  There is no way to put a value on that.  Yes – I’ve had to explain some things to my kids that most parents of 7 year olds don’t “getâ€? to explain.  Yes – there are some words and phrases that I wish they did not know.  

But I wouldn’t trade that for the influence a Zack, Noel, Derrick, Anna, Kayla, Turner, Daniel, or Holly, Nikki, or Morgan, Christine or a hundred other names that I could put down.  Wouldn’t even think about trading that.  

Thank you God for a weekend to remind me of that.  It’s worth it.