We saw many signals from God
this week in Charlotte.
Two of the people I saw God use as signals to me were Joey & Rachel, two of
our three seniors.
Joey is known in our group as
having a strong silent presence. While he was in still a quiet support throughout
the week, God used this gift and his gift of encouragement in very special
ways. Our first day of service we went to Lifespan, a day center for adults
with mental & physical disabilities, I was in a group with Joey. At first I
think all of in the group were a little out of our comfort zones, but each of
us wanted to make a connection & help where ever we were needed at the
center. Our group was in the recreation room. While we were in the room I
watched as Joey befriended a few people who were playing the Nintendo Wii
bowling. While Joey seemed to be a pro at the game, he also was a great at
encouraging those he played with & helped to coach them to learn the game
the way he knew it. Gentle nudges, big smiles & his strong silent presence
was a signal to me that sometimes BEING is as important as doing. Another time
God used Joey as a signal to me was on our free day to the US National
Whitewater Center. After our whitewater rafting adventure, we went to the high
ropes coarse. I was unsure if I could do this course, but Joey was quick to
encourage me that I could do it. While I was two people in front of him, about
100 yards way, he shouted words of encouragement to me through the forest the
whole way through. Here I am, the adult that brought the youth to this
adventure park, I felt like I should be brave & able, but if it wasn’t for
Joey being there to cheer me on I may have turned back before even starting the
course. Again this was a time when God showed me that being present is
sometimes what is needed more than doing a physical act.
Another sign I saw was
through Rachel’s constant care for others. Rachel is a person who likes to
engage others and help them. When I know of something going on with another
member of our group, Rachel is one of the first that I go to for help to
encourage or help them through a situation. Her compassion for the other
members of our group was evident as she continually put herself second in order
to grow other members of the youth group. An example I saw of this gift to help
the other members of our group was when our group decided to buy a picture from
the Urban Ministries art studio. While Rachel was active in helping the group
to talk about the paintings, when it came to who would walk back into the
studio to make a final selection she suggested some of the younger members to
go make the decision. This was her way of helping them to take ownership of our
group and she was a great encourager when they returned to share their choice.
Another time I saw Rachel as a signal was at the Charlotte Rescue Mission when
she & I sat with two men, Cash & Melvin, for lunch. Charlotte Rescue
Mission is a place for drug and alcohol addicts. As I sat there, I watched
Rachel interact with these gentle men, she was compassionate and showed interest
in all they shared with us. Her questions were asked with care & without
judgment. She shared stories with them & related to all they talked about
which seemed to help them feel comfortable. Rachel’s gift of nurturing interest
helps other to feel at easy & comfortable to open up with those around
them.
This week I have seen many
signals from all the youth and I would have loved to talk about each of them,
but I am happy I had three other adults here to share their perspective about
them with you. John, Bill & CJ were wonderful leaders for our group. We had
two fearless drivers, and CJ provided the comic relief along the way.
Throughout the week the four of us took turns leading the devotions each night.
Each of these men shared themselves & their beliefs with our youth. They
made this trip enriching, fun, & kept us safe throughout our time in Charlotte & on the
road.
I must share one last thing
before I turn everything back over to Alex for a closing. I have what I like to
call leaky eyes & throughout the week, whenever I felt touched by one of
these amazing people I had the privilege to travel with my eyes began to leak.
Throughout the week they kept a tally of my leaky eyes, and I believe it ended
up being around 13 times in 7 days. The reason my eyes leaked so often this
week is because we, or if you don’t mind I’ll say I, have some amazing youth! I
am so proud of each of you for the courage you had to go on this trip to Charlotte where you didn’t
know anything we would be doing except helping others. I am so proud of each of
you for stepping out of your comfort zones to search for God’s signal this past
week.
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