Young Life...life is short, God is huge

       "For my days pass away like smoke..." (Ps.102:3)
       "For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.  So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits." (James 1:11)
       "For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.  You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers...So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Ps.90:4-6,12)
       Translation?  Life is short.  God is huge.  Love and live for Him.
       I guess this is particularly evident to me after last night.  We hosted the last Young Life Campaigners meeting of the year at our house...well, the last one until Peter is a senior in High School (which, thankfully, will be a while).  We've hosted Campaigners for the senior high school year of our oldest, Mary Norris, then Richard, then Janie, and now Preyer.  Where on earth have the years gone?
       That's a lot of Young Life songs...a lot of Young Life Bible studies scattered all over the house...a lot of Young Life laughter and loving of high school kids...a lot of Young Life sharing and soul-transforming by the power of the Gospel.  A lot of incredibly dedicated Young Life leaders giving their lives away so that high schoolers could come to know and love Jesus.   Not to mention a lot of Young Life cars parked everywhere, a lot of shoes in the hall, a lot of Bojangles wrappers in the trash, and a lot of various brochures for camp all over the place.
       Basically, a lot of Life.  A lot of loving kids and telling them where to find real, lasting, rich, satisfying, abundant eternal Life.
       Yep, plenty of thursday nights I'm sure our neighbors wanted to throttle us.  And sometimes it was mighty inconvenient to have kids scattered all over the  house or to clean up after them or to see the wear and tear in the basement from some hard living and loving.
       But oh my, the rewards are quite literally out of this world.  As in eternity.  As in, I think I can almost see Jesus smiling as new life is born and grown and encouraged.  Thank You Lord for the privilege of allowing us to have a tiny part in Your work in this world.
       Because life is short.  God is huge.  And since we are only here for such a brief moment, we want to love and live for You every single day You choose to give us.
       The last Campaigners is a big old cookout..with my husband grilling a boatload of burgers and hot dogs, and kids consuming a lot of food.  It surely does my heart good to see young folks eat...especially since eating is one of my favorite hobbies!  To the boys credit, they let the girls go first (a minor miracle if you could see the way our son eats)--

       Then the guys came through...boy, I'm gonna miss the seniors.  Here's a few of them--

       The senior leaders, Gaither and Evan, gave a great challenge--remember God loves you, find a Christian community (in case you didn't realize this people--we NEED each other!), stay in the God's Word.  Life for Christ in your school, in your community, in your world.

       Then it was time for the seniors to gather around their leader and thank him/her.  How on earth do you adequately thank someone who has given their life away that you might find yours?  These leaders truly are beautiful gifts from God, and they model for us how we are to live like Jesus.  But it sure made me tearful watching them hugging their guys/girls goodbye.  Did I say I'm gonna miss these seniors?

        And a final pic of the seniors.  The boys with Evan--

       And the girls and Gaither joining them (and me trying not to cry as I snapped away)--

       Have I mentioned I'm really, really gonna miss these seniors?
       Yeah, well, that's the point...cause life is short.  God is huge.  And we've got this one brief shot at making a difference for Christ for all of eternity.
       'Cause here's the thing: one glorious day, we're not going to care a whit about those extra pounds on our frame...or the clutter in our home...or the grades of our children...or the success of our business...or the amount in our bank accounts...or the whatever this world applauds.
       No, we're only going to care about how much we loved God and how well we lived for Him. And whether we loved the people He put in our paths.
      All that other junk that we tend to worry about and obsess over?  In light of eternity and God's enormous, glorious grace, all the rest of that stuff is pretty much fluff that will have been blown away like meaningless chaff.    
       "Only one life; twill soon be past.  Only what's done for Jesus will last."
       George Mueller put it this way: "The longer I live, the more I am enabled to realize that I have but one life to live on earth, and that this one life is but a brief life, for sowing, in comparison with eternity, for reaping."
     The time to sow is now.  With our children.  With our family.  With our friends. In our world.
     Oh Lord Jesus, help us "to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."  Thank You for dying for our sins and forgiving us.  Thank You for rising to new life and giving us abundant, eternal life.  Thank You for allowing us to live this day to love You, to live for You, and to make Your name great and glorious.
       Because, Father, life is short.  You are huge.  And this is the only today we'll ever have to love You and love others.  Might we glorify You this day, Lord Jesus.  
       And finally, thank You Lord for the ministry of Young Life...and for the gift of having a small part in Your work.  Thank You for high schoolers.  Thank You for the joy of watching them grow up...even if it's accompanied by the sadness of watching them fly away.  Might they fly with You and for You, Jesus.
       For You are Life.
       And life is short.  
       But You are huge.  And we love You.
       To God be the glory.