Up . . . All . . . Night

Sunday Night was another famous "Lock-In" for the Youth Group led, for the time being, by my sweet husband.

I've mentioned before that he is as much a kid as any of the kids you've ever known, just with a little experience and wisdom under his belt.

His love and dedication for the students of this church is remarkable. He absolutely wants them to know they are loved and valued not just by him, but by the church family that meets here and most important, by the God who created them. He leads them with great respect for who they are and what they might be experiencing or feeling in their "tween" or "teen" minds.

My job during these all night lock-ins is to just be there for them. I cook a couple of meals, one when they arrive around 6:00 and another one about midnight. They have warm cookies and an iced mocha around 3:00 a.m. to rev up their energy for the last few hours, and then a little breakfast about 6:00 a.m. Parents arrive around 7:00 to pick up their very tired students.

I learned that I am no longer a kid. I'm not able to bounce back after staying up all night. I am an old woman.

I must say, though, the times with those students is precious. They are good people with generous hearts. I know I don't see and hear everything that goes on, and goodness knows I'm totally o.k. with that! However, these kids are sweet, and polite, and genuinely concerned for each other and the world around them.

I'm proud of my husband for the work he does with these students, but beyond that, I'm very proud of these young people as they make good decisions and strive to walk a Godly path.

If this is the future, we're in good hands!

Blessings. . .