Boys and Girls Explanation

About two months ago I began praying about my fall time. We do still have plenty of camp work that needs to be taken care but I typically also have more flexible time at work to do different things. During this specific day I thought of several local ministry sites that I should be more intentional about spending time with them (Boys & Girls club, Angel Wing's Daycare, Copper Basin Crisis Center). Another thought I also had was about wanting to be around more people with the intent to share Christ with. I had the idea to do this and earn some extra money I could substitute teach a couple of days a week.

More than anything I was desiring something that took me beyond my comfort zone. I had just finished reading Crazy Love and Forgotten God and Radical . I went on a crazy reading binge after summer and before my school got started. All these books were great reminders that the Gospel is true and it is real. And I do have a responsibility to daily live that Gospel out in my life before a lost a dying world. Even if it's uncomfortable and inconvenient. They all also had the note of challenge to them. Not just feel good books about how we should love Jesus more. They called their readers to make some choices.

All that lead me to be praying for my fall and how to be intentional. That was Sat - Monday. Monday evening at 5 I get a phone call from the lady who was the director at the club. I told her I had been thinking about her so it was funny that she should call. She said she thought she knew why I had been thinking of her. I explained that I wanted to spend more time there this fall spring truly investing in the kids. She just begins to laugh. She said well that's funny. I am resigning and want you to take my position as the director.

I just sat there. I said that's a little more involvement then I had in mind. However, I will pray about it for a few days. We talked for a minute and then we got of the phone. I just sat there for awhile thinking what in the world?

I spent some time praying about it and asking God if this was His idea of moving me beyond my comfort zone and how I had intended to take some small steps this fall and perhaps bigger ones next spring. Then I called a few friends to tell them of the situation and ask for their thoughts and prayers.

That Friday I was leaving town so I told her I'd try to have an answer.

I freaked out basically for 3 days. What in the world? How does that and camp work? How do you run a boys and girls club? And of course a MILLION OTHER QUESTIONS floated in my head for several days. I went that next day to interact with the kids to get a feel for what God might be doing. I knew when I left that day this job would be fulfilling the prayers I had. These kids come from junk. Pure and simple JUNK. There home lives are not what they should be. They lack the adult love and encouragement that every kid needs and should have.

I got in my car pretty much just cried on the drive home. This is an opportunity the Lord had provided but it scared me to death. Over the next few days I continued to pray just to make sure I was understanding things right... I went back to see the kids on Wednesday as well. Again I left with complete brokenness for their little lives.

At this point I still had no idea how to run a club but I called the director on Thursday, which was a day earlier than she had thought. With hesitation and part confusion I told her I had no idea how it was going to work but I was suppose to take the job. She got way excited! When she asked me to do it she said that they had someone else they wanted to bring in from Cleveland but she told them she didn't want anyone from Cleveland. In the best interest of the club and the kids it should be someone from Benton. She said as she thought about it I was the person she kept thinking about as someone who would care as much about the kids as she does.

Well, it's been a crazy unorganized process filled with lots of moments of me thinking perhaps I made the wrong decision, but I start Monday, November 1st.

No, I still don't know how to run a Boys and Girls Club.

No, I still don't know how this will work out perfectly with Camp.

Yes, I have fallen completely for the kids!

I trust the Lord will show me the rest as I need to understand it.