Flurries

Well, today is a brief break in the madness. No work today. Yes (pulling my right arm with clenched fist beside my side in a quick motion)!

But it's hard not to work when there's always more to do. Perenial struggle of youth ministry, I guess.

Pre-teen camp was quick, hot, and pubescent. My cabin of guys was a godsend. Fun and spontaneous, but not unruly or unmanageable. (Those guys were in another cabin.) We played lots of mafia...lots of it. And we swam three times a day. It seemed that was all there was to do. Eat, swim, fish, play dodgeball, swim, go to chapel, swim, eat, and swim. And we had a blast.

I'd have to say that our ENC team there was probably the best ENC team I've had around in quite some time.

I don't know how to process those experiences regarding younger teens and spiritual advancement/development/formation. Should I expect deep conversations? Should I expect them to deal with the crap going on at home? Should I expect responses in chapel?

What I do expect is that they be around people who love them. I do expect that they get to see what it means to be around people who treat each other with respect and who work through disagreements when they arise and who talk well of others. My hope is that seeds are planted/nurtured/watered. Seeds of grace, seeds of the divine.