A Big Bowl of Blessings

This past weekend we went on our annual Winter Retreat with the Senior Highers from Faith. This is typically one of the highlights of my year - getting away with a bunch of crazy students, playing stupid games together, bonding over the fact that we're sitting on the bus for WAY too long, staying up late together, threatening each other with pranks that never seem to happen, and watching God show up in relationships and the way we love each other. This weekend was no different than normal - we left for Camp Forest Springs on Friday with 47 students and 3 bus chaperones... 3. And Jer wasn't one of them since he 'had' to set up the sound equipment with a few other faithful leaders.
The theme for the weekend was Sacred Doors - a study on Spiritual Disciplines (talk about biting off a lot). Scott Groff joined us again as our speaker for the weekend - he was the perfect guide for leading us into a deeper journey with the Lord. We practiced some things that don't come naturally to many teenagers (and me!) like silence, spiritual breathing, confession, etc. It was a stretching, challenging weekend. I had promised Jer before we left that I was going to use the weekend to listen to what God was saying and asked him to do the same... especially since we would be going through the lessons with our kids.
So... what did God do? He kept pouring peace over me. I can't explain it - I am not wired to take a transition like the one we are going through easily. And yet - I've had this crazy sense of peace, and I continue to have this crazy sense of peace that God will provide, and we will be taken care of.

I have this neat relationship with Scott Groff, having worked under him with the students at Open Door. I saw my girls there grow under his passion for Jesus and gentle spirit that called them into a more real relationship with the Lord. I was lucky enough to help lead a trip with Scott to Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. And I was at Open Door when the church let him go and during the transition that followed. Scott has (sort of) been in our shoes. He knows the awkward feelings that surround the sometimes hard decisions that churches make. He knows what it's like to transition out of a ministry. Granted, we have it a little easier... but it still stinks. So, when we were preparing to leave the camp and head home, wrangling the kids onto the bus, Scott came over to say goodbye and shared some thoughts with us on the upcoming months. And part of what he said sticks with me... and continues to give me peace. He said, "I don't know if this is from me or from the Lord, but I just see a big bowl of blessings being poured over you two."

It's from the Lord.