Friends,
Tuesday started like another day at Workcamp, but I know it's the toughest day of the week. The adrenaline we arrived with has crashed, the nights away from home mean sleep isn't as deep, it's hot, you start to realize the jobs we're doing aren't going to be as perfect as we hope due to skill levels and some of the crew members don't have a desire to work hard. It's overwhelming, so we share stories about our day that include the frustration and the joys, and our fellow Workcampers offer a listening ear, encouragement and hope.
I was able to visit a few of our Workcampers at their job sites and meet a few residents, and it was a great afternoon. You would be so proud to see each of them making real contributions to the project and in their crew communities. They have a daily devotion to do as a group, and Tuesday's theme was Grace. The kind that pardons everything. No exceptions.
We worshipped last night, and I wept with joy and awe at the heartfelt worship coming from everyone. There are a group of youth who volunteer for the worship team, and they help to lead the singing each night. Our kids have their arms around each other and are swaying and I notice there is a girl in the worship team who is behind all of the other youth and she looks like she doesn't belong so I nudge Avery P and she grabs some friends and they surround the girl and join her in singing. That girl lit up, smiling and suddenly belonging. If only we could recognize that more often! This act created a wave of kids coming to the floor and a circle formed with a couple of rows; they sang, swayed, raised their hands in worship and surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit in them. I cried some more.
There was a really good skit with video that identified the ways young people sin in big and small ways and our need to confess what cannot be hidden from God. We used a pencil on black paper and wrote our terrible things, crumpled the paper, dropped it at the bottom of the cross, picked up a "grace" sticker and took a little time to reflect. There were more tears, hugging, and words of comfort going through our group, and we headed out for our youth group's devotions.
Before we dispersed, I offered some words in relation to what had just happened. "Whatever you placed at the foot of the cross, leave it there. Don't carry that burden anymore and whatever you did that needed confessing, don't do it again." The scripture during the day was the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden, and we talked about wanting to hide when our sin is exposed; we want to cover up and not be vulnerable in any way. God's grace makes way for our freedom in our own naked vulnerability before Him and our peers. His grace is enough.
We ended our day and with more photos and there is one in particular that is a riot. We adults were pushed out of our spot at the picnic table by another group, so we used my truck bed and laughed about how much fun it was to ride in the back of a pickup when we were young. Matt took a selfie with us and then Jo arrived. Instead of taking another photo, Jo was added in with an app. We now look like conjoined twins!
Tuesday always ends and Wednesday always comes. Thank you for your prayers!