a moment of silence please

Could we all just take a moment of silence?  To grieve a loss.  

Today is the day our church’s high school students loaded up the buses, and rolled away from the church.  Off to camp.  My camp.  MY CAMP!!!  This year, they will be visiting ORANGE BEACH!!!  Do you know how much I love the beach?  Especially a beautiful beach?!!!  Indeed.  They are now there, about to go to their first evening worship service.  Complete with amazing drama, terrific worship in song, great, quick, wonderful video clips, and a rousing message brought forth from the heart of a man who loves God.  and students.  And Sara and I are home.  

The decision was not easy, believe me  -  she was still well in her illness when I had to make this decision,  being told that much rest was the only way to get better.  This has been since the end of April.  That’s right.  She’s been such a trooper, pacing herself, resting as she should, and limiting her activities to only those the dr. said were ok.  Hard stuff for the girl about to be a senior in high school!  Lessons have been learned.  And truths have risen to the top of our hearts and minds as we ponder the stuff that really matters. Believe me, we are grateful that full recovery is expected.  We anticipate that.  And she is soooooooooo much better than she was!  We rejoice in that!

But, today.  today is sad.  Because we long for camp.  We miss our favorite summer church activity. The fellowship.  The fun.   And I miss my Student Life friends. My precious special most amazing Student Life friends.  However, we have choices – what will we do?  We will have a few “field trips” around town – just mom and her girl.  Not too taxing, but fun.  We will pray for them.  For sure.  And be glad for them.  Truly.  and be so eager to hear all that God did while they were away.  

Will you pray for them now, as a matter of fact?  Pray that God will make Himself known to each one – not only our students, but all 2000 that are there.  (or however many are there).  Would you pray that God would move unlike ever before in that place?  and that God would bless them abundantly – each one that is serving selflessly at camp.  And each one that is receiving. or the ones just taking it all in.  What if this was such the spiritual marker in these students’ lives, that the rest of their lives are sold out for Christ?!!!  wow.  I’m getting excited just thinking about it!  Maybe being home, and getting to pray for them will be alright after all……..