That's Not How I Planned It...

Monday: Day of Retreat. Tridum Retreat---Holy Thursday – Easter Sunday

Have you ever had something planned down to  ‘T’? You have your schedule made, every session planned to the minute. Someone could have walked in, looked at your schedule, and knew what you were doing? Well, my friends, that is how Junior High Day Camp works, organized chaos. Anything with 80 middle school youth, and 20 high school youth is going to be chaotic, BUT the key is ORGANIZATION. If you’re not organized, you mine as well not even show up. You have to keep your staff going, chaperones on target for what they need to be doing, and the kids flowing through their activities. I’ve heard it said that it a fearless leader. I would have to say that I know have to disagree. I think that you need to be full of fear. You need to anticipate what might go wrong. You need to be ready to face the unknown. Fear of the Lord, take over!! He is in totally control, not me.

The day of retreat is spent on campus all day. Filled with sessions, skits, praise & worship, free time, food, small groups, and some Jesus of course! I had everything that day planned out just how it should go, beginning with when my staff was going to arrive to the time that everyone left. Boy, was it a joke to make a schedule, God had plans of His own that day. Although, at the time, I had no idea, it was just a major glitch in my planning.  

Feeding 100 teens at lunch time is a rather important thing. They tend to get really hungry, and some can get kinda grumpy!  Needless to say, today’s mountain to climb, getting the kids lunch when an orfer was lost! I will not list the name of the company, because, they fixed their wrong with us with a compensation. At the time though, I couldn’t think of what to do with 100 starving teens!! Do we just begin our next session, and have to stop in the middle when lunch shows, or do we just have free time?  Side note, we just got an awesome new multi-purpose building, can be used as a gym. I didn’t have it reserved until the Friday before, something in my gut told me to, so I did. Well, my friends, I have three words for you, Screeming Yellow Zonkers. I had no idea what they game was, until my teen taught me. It involves running and chasing (los of it), so needless to say, they figured a way to get me to play with them. They played in the gym for two hours!! Troopers, their free time just came earlier than planned.

In the end, lunch came, two hours late, and we had to get back on schedule. We needed to be in the Church at 4pm for Adoration. It was 2, and we still had two full sessions to do! We cut out the fluff, and focused on the meet of the sessions and what really mattered. By the Grace of God, we were sitting in the Church at 3:50, patiently waiting, QUIET, and ready to go!!

Here are our sessions for the day! Holy Thursday: A Humble Love. We discussed the Passover, institution of the Eucharist. We also learned why there was the Washing of the Feet, and par-took in our own Washing of the Feet  among the campers and summer staff.  Good Friday: A Sacrificial Love. We learned all about the Passion, and why He died on the Cross for us.  We prayed the Stations of the Cross, and ended our session with a Veneration of the Cross.  Holy Saturday/Easter Sunday: A Redeeming Love.  He is Risen!!!! Alleluia!!! Alleluia!!! We ended this, our final session for the day in Adoration, going to see Him who died and rose again for us!!!  It was a time when the worries of the day just melted away. Everything was placed in His hands. It was a time to let go & let God.

In the end, it was an amazing, fun filled day, and the kids enjoyed it. As long as they enjoyed the day, I did as well.

Monday’s lesson learned: Don’t plan on your plans to go as you have planned them. Things can change, and at the drop of a hat! I may be in the driver’s seat, but He holds the map!!