Weekend refreshment :)

Earlier in the spring, we heard about an event that our church's worship band was going to put on in April  called Brave Generation. It's a youth conference that they hold annually, and has drawn hundreds of teens from across New England. Of course Patrick instantly volunteered to roadie for the band (lol), so we tucked it away in the back of our minds. Who knew if we would have the time off once we started our new assignments?

Flash forward to last weekend, when we were actually able to go! We left on Friday after Pat got off work and drove nearly 7 hours straight from Baltimore, MD to Plymouth Rock, MA. There we were met with all the familiar faces of New Haven, and boy were they a sight for sore eyes. I spent the next 24 hours just soaking them up, such was my thirst for friends. I know I must have been parched because I didn't take a single picture of a person the whole weekend (which I normally would have done) - the thought didn't even cross my mind, I was just so happy to be with them.

Now for the conference: Imagine a historic New England meeting house, over four stories tall, with a giant auditorium in the center filled with kids. Now imagine a ridiculously loud worship band and the noise that over 800+ kids can make in that kind of space. Yep, you've got it :)

This was the first time I had been in a setting like that since I was in high school, and the memories it recalled washed over me wave after wave. It was overwhelmingly emotional, and surprisingly grounding at the same time. I saw all those years of church youth group and summer camps with fresh eyes. Like I was getting a chance to understand the lasting impact those experiences had on my life.

I am who I am because long ago I was sent to events like that, and told what those kids were being told. That God loves me. That He has forgiven me. That He wants to come alongside me as a friend and help me live my life with courage and direction. These are BIG thoughts for a kid, maybe not entirely comprehensible. It's not until you're grown that you understand the weight of these truths. You see how they have informed your steps, given you strength in times when you could have shied away, set you on a trajectory. You see how they have led you to the very place you stand and the life you lead. All from what you were told, and believed, as a child. Whoa...

So here we are, all these many miles from anything familiar or anyone who knows us. And I admit, I have moments of homesickness and a desire to hug those we left far away. But I know we're here for a reason. We're firmly on our trajectory. Each place we go teaches us things, brings us closer together, and forces us to rely on the Lord. It's not always easy, but I trust the steps we've taken because I trust the One leading the way. Which is a comforting thought indeed.