You know how it works. Our teenagers go to a retreat in the winter/spring or to a camp in the summer, make big decisions for God, and then go home. They go back to reality and real life and those decisions are forgotten. Within a month it will be as though nothing happened. Of course there will be one or two kids who will stick with it or who will be reminded of it later in life and there will be a huge impact from it, but that seems so small.
Then there are the leaders. I never thought about this as a kid, but those leaders are listening too. In fact, this last weekend, I had a few things to tell the leaders. They have a hard job: to be in ministry with young people. They look to them for an example. An example of giving God control. An example of what it means to truly worship. Yet, even still, an example of continuing to live what God taught them even after they leave the retreat and get back into the grind of life. They get to talk about the lessons from the retreat and keep bringing them up so that those lessons and decisions can stay fresh in the minds of the teenagers....and themselves.
So, which one is real life? We know the easy answer, here is real life. There (the retreat or camp) is an illusion. Yet, I might beg to differ. I would argue that we spend our days often wrapped in an illusion. An illusion of control. An illusion of power. An illusion of popularity. An illusion of worship that isn't really worship. Getting away from the noise and the responsibilities (this was huge for me this weekend) allows us to pray so much more openly to God because I don't need to get done so that I can go to work (or to bed). I don't need to rush through my time of building relationships because we aren't going anywhere.
Now, can we live in that place and make that our permanent reality? No. We know that. But we can look at some lessons from it. We are WAY too busy. Our kids are way too busy. If I can't give the God of the universe enough of my time and attention to say "thank you" for what he has done and really mean it, then my life is an illusion. I'm not really living the life God wants me to. "In everything, give thanks" the Bible says. But, not "thanks" like a child who is required to say thank you does it. No, thank you like the child who got the one thing they never thought they'd get because they knew you couldn't afford it. That excitement and appreciation that bubbles over and cannot be contained. Have you thanked God like that today??
Once I was your enemy and I hated you. Now, I am sitting at your table. I didn't think it was possible because my sin is so great and terrible when placed in front of a holy God...yet the blood of Christ covers me and allows me to have a relationship with you. Jesus. THANK YOU!!!! :0)
Then there are the leaders. I never thought about this as a kid, but those leaders are listening too. In fact, this last weekend, I had a few things to tell the leaders. They have a hard job: to be in ministry with young people. They look to them for an example. An example of giving God control. An example of what it means to truly worship. Yet, even still, an example of continuing to live what God taught them even after they leave the retreat and get back into the grind of life. They get to talk about the lessons from the retreat and keep bringing them up so that those lessons and decisions can stay fresh in the minds of the teenagers....and themselves.
So, which one is real life? We know the easy answer, here is real life. There (the retreat or camp) is an illusion. Yet, I might beg to differ. I would argue that we spend our days often wrapped in an illusion. An illusion of control. An illusion of power. An illusion of popularity. An illusion of worship that isn't really worship. Getting away from the noise and the responsibilities (this was huge for me this weekend) allows us to pray so much more openly to God because I don't need to get done so that I can go to work (or to bed). I don't need to rush through my time of building relationships because we aren't going anywhere.
Now, can we live in that place and make that our permanent reality? No. We know that. But we can look at some lessons from it. We are WAY too busy. Our kids are way too busy. If I can't give the God of the universe enough of my time and attention to say "thank you" for what he has done and really mean it, then my life is an illusion. I'm not really living the life God wants me to. "In everything, give thanks" the Bible says. But, not "thanks" like a child who is required to say thank you does it. No, thank you like the child who got the one thing they never thought they'd get because they knew you couldn't afford it. That excitement and appreciation that bubbles over and cannot be contained. Have you thanked God like that today??
Once I was your enemy and I hated you. Now, I am sitting at your table. I didn't think it was possible because my sin is so great and terrible when placed in front of a holy God...yet the blood of Christ covers me and allows me to have a relationship with you. Jesus. THANK YOU!!!! :0)
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