This weekend I was given the opportunity to lead one of three groups of high school volunteers known as the Servant Leader Team (SLT). Castaway is very different from the other 3 retreats put on by SBS because we are not only at a camp about 4 hours from the Twin Cities (where SBS is run out of) and it is a retreat focused towards Jr. High/Middle School aged campers (grades 6-8). One challenge of a Castaway is all the work that has to be done to make the weekend run perfectly. While there are dishes and kitchen work to be done at our high school retreats it is nothing compared to the meal time work done at a Castaway retreat. Without the SLT we would NOT be able to run these weekends as flawlessly as we do. That being said leading these students is a pretty big deal and a lot goes into making sure we are working fast to clean up and setup the dinning center and to still participate at games and big group time.
Coming into the weekend I was nervous about leading these students. This was my first time doing anything like this. Until now I had been mostly a behind-the-scenes guy working lighting and other "tech" aspects of the retreat. I was nervous about my ability to lead the students, my ability to have the words that they needed to hear, and my ability to just be there for them as they needed me. I prayed about it all week leading up to the retreat.
As Castaway came around and I met and worked with my group for the first time I realized that God had heard my prayers. I know that this weekend he was with me helping me lead and giving me the words I needed to say and that my students needed to hear. I had so much fun being their leader and getting to work with these students. Not only that, but I really truly learned from them as well.
Saturday night came around and I once again witnessed the amazing gift of God sending down the Holy Spirit to those who accepted it. We always put on a prayer service where students can pray with their leaders, each other, and pray at the foot of the cross. While praying at the foot of the cross I broke down. I confessed to God all the pain that I was hiding deep down that was causing a rippled relationship between me and God. I had lost myself and I cried out to God to take that away from to take away my impurity and my ways of acting not as myself. As I prayed and cried and confessed all this to God I felt Him take all that away from me. In 1 John 1:19 it says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
How amazingly true I found this verse to be as I instantly felt God cleanse me of my pain as if saying "You are forgiven do not let this burden bring you down any longer." What an amazing God we have that he is so ready to forgive us when we fall short of him. In Ephesians 2:4-5 it says "But because of his GREAT love for us God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." Great doesn't even begin to describe how amazing his love is. God gave us his son Jesus Christ so that we live. He is constantly throwing his mercy and grace at us, we just need to open our eyes and realize it is there all the time. This weekend truly "I found love and love found me."
Lord God,
Thank you so much for your mercy and grace. For loving us even when we fall. For picking us up when we fall short of you and carrying us when we think we can't go on. Lord please continue to protect us as we seek you out and journey in this life for our next life with you in Heaven. God thank you so much for all of the people involved in the Castaway Retreat with SBS. Lord protect them as they go back to the real world and experience the challenges of this world. For the campers Lord thank you so much for sending your holy spirit down on them and for changing their lives. Thank you for their energy and their willingness and openness to hearing your word and praising you with so much enthusiasm. Lord continue to be with them as their experience all you have to offer them. Life them up Lord and continue to build a relationship with them. God thank you so much for the SLT and their amazing hearts for serving you and making your presence real. God continue to bless them and let them know that they are loved by so many people and that each and every one of them are beautiful. Lord help them to stay with you and continue to bless them. Lord protect all of the members of SBS Team and the Church Leaders. Lord what amazing people of faith you have given to build up strong communities all over the twin cities. Help them to continue to lead and to continue to show the love you show us. We love you so much God and you are so AMAZING. Thank you for life and for all you have done Adonai. In your son Jesus's name we pray forever and for always.
Amen.
