I don’t gamble, but tonight I hit the jackpot…
One of the boys from the Tokio youth group has been telling me about his upcoming basketball season and he brought me a schedule this past Wednesday. Even before I knew that he played, I had plans to attend some of the basketball games on the reservation. The high-school games are a huge event around here and it’s a great way to get connected, especially with the youth.
Tonight was his first game. But as it often seems to go with me and the Lord, my plans and ideas and purposes just barely skim the surface of His. I pulled up to the school in the below-zero temperatures and made my way inside to the game. For whatever reason, the guy from youth group wasn’t playing tonight. He wasn’t even there. A couple of the other Wednesday-night guys were there, so I was glad to get to see them.
But the “jackpot” I’m referring to was the number of kids who have been campers at FaHoCha Bible Camp. As I was paying admission to get into the game, I looked over and saw a teenage girl from the reservation who came to camp a couple of years ago. She and I had a couple of neat moments the week that she was at camp, but I hadn’t really seen her since then. However, she’s often been on my heart. Earlier this fall, I stopped at her house, trying to make connections to see her, but came up with nothing.
When I saw her tonight, I was literally overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness. She seemed to have a similar reaction to seeing me, so I abandoned the check that I was writing and went to hug her. I hugged her for a long time and she hugged me right back. When I could see her face, I saw that she was wiping away tears. I told her how happy I was to see her and told her that I had been wanting to get in touch with her. She was still wiping away tears. And my heart was bursting.
This was my welcome…and the start of a beautiful evening. After that happy reunion, I think I talked with about 10 other kids who had been to camp at one point, some as long as almost 10 years ago, and all from the reservation. It was pure joy to see them, hug them, and visit with them. I realized that I was actually living what was once only a dream to me…building relationships and doing some camp follow-up with the youth on the reservation.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but the four girls who come to the Tokio youth group every Wednesday are also former FaHoCha campers. Last Wednesday, I had especially neat one-on-one/discipling opportunities with two of them–one at the church just before youth group and one in my car while taking her home.
All of this reminds me again of how the Lord’s plans and thoughts are so far beyond mine, so much better, so much more amazing. I love that. I love Him. And I love that I get to follow His lead.
Like I said, I hit the jackpot tonight.
Please pray that these relationships continue to grow and develop and pray that the Lord would use me to bring His light and speak His truth to these precious youth!
