We Are A New Creation

Home.

I guess.

No disrespect to all the wonderful people here at home, but I know I'm not the only one who feels oddly displaced. Walking back up to your house, digging through cupboards for dinner, checking your Facebook, and then actually sleeping in your own bed... All of it feels wrong. Just a little bit off. A few weeks ago I came home from spending a week with my cousins in another state, and coming home felt like a big sigh of relief. Now it just feels... Empty.

Where are my brothers and sisters?

I keep thinking I'll turn around and see Cabe or Brandon doing some strange dance, or Colton on top of a roof somewhere, or Taylor hit some guy with a frisbee, or Austin comforting someone, or Tyler pondering where his life is heading, or any number of encouraging and/or entertaining things that were always just behind me during the whole week. I feel like I'm missing a limb, knowing I won't see them all again until tomorrow. And that feels like forever away.

But at the same time...

I am full of encouragement because of what I saw this week. God did some INCREDIBLE things through the people at CIY. Last year's tagline was "no matter what" and that really hit home for me. All year it was my mission to be there for my brothers and sisters no matter what they were dealing with. This year the tag was "something bigger". And that's exactly what we're doing. 13 people in our group of 23 were baptized Thursday night. 13. Including my actual biological brother, three of my absolute BEST friends in the world, and my boyfriend, who had made an important decision to completely surrender his life and his actions to God's will. It was amazing and completely perfect. I was entirely overwhelmed by the whole things. Also 6 of us dedicated our lives to full time ministry, whether for the first time or just solidifying that choice. (Correct me if I'm wrong but I think-) John, Carter, and I are going into worship and music ministry, Taylor has a wild and crazy dream about traveling the country in a bus to reach people for God, Austin is considering a mixture of youth ministry and mission work, and I'm guessing here but I think Marcus is doing something pastoral. It was so cool just to see the number of people who stood up in the last evening session to say "I am going to be a Kingdom worker." and then those who said they would be going into full-time ministry. They asked us to go into the lobby so we could sign up for some information and the whole room was packed with teenagers who will be serving God in their communities.

I know for those of you who weren't there this post sounds rambly, but don't worry, here's my point:

Our group changed this week. We went into it knowing that when we came home our leader Chad would be leaving the church. For me, the whole week had a bittersweet taste because Chad has been such a HUGE part of my life the last six years or so. Before camp I was sincerely struggling with how to deal with youth group without him. He was the one who first told me I had leadership qualities. He has shaped me in ways I don't think I even totally understand right now. God has used him in my life and in the lives of every kid who walked through the doors of our youth room. And I didn't know how we could go on without him.

Now I know.

We are new. We are changed. It's our job now to take what we've learned and use it to change others. God has given us a gift and a unity so that we can make a difference in the lives of our friends.

It's time to do Something Bigger.


*Yes, for those of you who were at CIY, the line is actually "I am a new creation", but in the spirit of unity, I refocused it for my blog title*