I got up this morning thinking that it would be my typical Saturday...Coffee, Today Show, Grocery List and ultimately REAL COFFEE (Starbucks) and the Grocery Store. I have no doubt that those things will eventually come to pass. There was this morning, however, one small difference. Tom has been preparing and has now completed a long over due video tape as a resume type tape. I had procrastinated in watching it because I am never really impressed with those types of things because the quality generally diminishes the truth to what really is intended to be seen. At any rate, I turned it on to watch in order to be able to say when he gets up, "Oh, I watched your tape and it is fine." (Knowing that I couldn't be truthfully honest because he would feel that I was being critical of his long hours of efforts). Unbeknownst to me, I was terribly disturbed, saddened and extrememly emotional. I sat in the floor and wept and prayed to God, asking through my tears, "WHY, WHY, why is it that you know our hearts and the passion that we have for these youth? Why is it that you know the gifts and abilities that we have in communicating with them? Why is it that we have the unusual ability to relate to them and draw out from them things that other directors so often do not understand?" I continued to watch as the youth sang, performed their dramas, dowel rod routines and laughed and smiled as they genuinely enjoyed what they were doing. I do not understand! As much as I desire to and really do trust God and his ultimate wisdom, my heart still aches. Sometimes I feel like the man in the Bible who questioned why the man had been born blind. "Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents." Then God quietly reminded me (even just this moment as I cross referenced this passage for accuracy) "Neither this man or his parents have sinned. But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." WOW! My '2x4' has just been relocated upon my head!

An emotional morning already??? YES!
An impacting morning already??? ABSOLUTELY!
I am in a growth experience and Growing pains are just that, PAINFUL. Yet in the midst of pain, there is growth! I KNOW that when God is ready, and maybe more importantly when He feels WE are ready, great things will continue to happen.

Oh God, you know the desires of our heart
You promised to fullfill those desires when we commit to you
We commit to you
We wait for you
We desire to see you at work in us
above and beyond our expectations