My SOS recap

Recuperating is probably the best word. This is following an entire week of SOS. This year we had 1,000 middle and high school kids in for a week of Summer of Service. We do this every year, and every year it tends to get bigger and bigger.

There are certain ministry areas that work on this all year, and absolutely kill themselves the month prior and are literally working from the dead the week of. (You guys know who you are.) The passion that they have is totally beyond my comprehension.

Yes, I work a few 15 hour days (when will I learn that I am too old for this stuff!), but I fear my motives are selfish. I just want to do is to be a team player, hide in the background of everything. I never want recognition for myself, but I do for the team. And if I am totally honest (and this is what I pledged to be on this blog), I am not so sure I am doing it for the kids either. [insert heart pang..ouch]

Every year I go into this week thinking that these self centered kids do not have the slightest clue as to the magnitude and the sacrifice that VCC puts out for them. Then every year God shows up and melts my heart and instills new hope in this generation. I truly believe these kids leave different people then when they came. The things that happen during this week could fill a book and not nothing short of miraculous!

This year the IT and tech team (if I my boast about them for a minute) made history. We actually streamed a night’s celebration live on the web on Wednesday. (We did it again on Friday when kids were getting baptized.) And as if that wasn’t enough, God saw to it that I was directing that night. I can’t explain the feeling of the adrenaline that was flowing through me that night. Even with some people who were new on the crew, everyone was firing on all cylinders and it was the most awesome night. I was on a high for at least 24 hours after the fact.

Then God shows up again….I hear the stories about how parents from many surrounding states watched it, and were excited to be able to experience what their child was experiencing….live! We had some kids here from Ireland, and their parents were able to share what their kids were experiencing. Could it get much better than that?

My gifting is certainly not in direct personal relationship with these kids, I am no prayer warrior, not a good outreach leader or group leader, but to have a behind-the-scenes impact on their lives is a feeling that carries me through all the chaos of the week.

I thank God for allowing me to be a part of the biggest thing we do during the year, and yanking my heart back on track. He still has a lot of work to do on me, but here is to next year’s yank!