Blizzard '08

Yesterday I just got back from spending the Easter weekend with our youth group. Our denomination's annual youth weekend happened—Blizzard. I am not new to this event at all. I started attending when I was 12 years old and continued to go until I was 19 years old. I missed the next year due to a missions program that I was involved in. I have since chaperoned a few times. Every Blizzard I recognize that God does really cool things.

This year started off with a bang, and I mean that realistically. The bang was my muffler. I offered to drive the overflow vehicle since not everyone could fit into the church van. On our way, I hear a "bang," and then I proceeded to pray that my muffler would not fall off on the way to the hotel! : ) Thankfully, we made it one piece. My parents, also my lifesavers, rescued us with a car and took mine to be fixed. The weekend continued to have all sorts of excitement from glasses breaking and having to be fixed, to air mattresses getting wholes in them...you name it, I think that myself, the other female chaperone, and our pastor dealt with it.

Despite the chaos that would normally send me packing, I really felt this odd peace about working with the youth group. I can't say that there weren't times when I was frustrated or annoyed, but I felt a renewed desire to do whatever I can to speak truth into the lives of the teens that are in this small group.

As I processed through what God did in me this past weekend, I recognized the following:

• I felt like God answered a prayer for me to build closer relationships with the teens.
• I was reminded constantly of the set of scriptures in Matthew 6, where Jesus speaks to the crowds about worrying. He takes care of birds and wildflowers, how much more does He love and care for His children. Through all of our struggles this past weekend, God continued to provide and work things out.
• I began to pray for our church body that God would increase in them a desire to step into the callings that He has on their lives. Everyone has a purpose in the body of Christ, and it is my fervent prayer that everyone would find their place in our church family. If someone had told me six months ago that I would be helping with the youth group, I probably would have laughed in their face, but I recognize that God has asked me to step up and out of my comfort zone. So, here's to being obedient and hanging on for dear life as God takes me into unexplored territories.