Tornadic Camping

This weekend, we took the youth group camping. I say "we" because I didn't, and would never dare do anything like this alone. An elder and another young adult came along and were incredibly helpful. I'm forever grateful for all those who've helped serve alongside of me (for free!), and particularly grateful to have had their help this weekend.

On Friday evening, we set up the tents in the dark, but were aided by the lights from my Mazda Protege. After an hour or so, we had all three tents up, including the portable Hilton: which sleeps probably 8 or so. 

Saturday was fairly eventful. We spent some time doing morning devotions. The youth were to take a colored sheet apropos to a specific setting and actually go there. For instance, if the devotion was on 'rest,' then they were to go to a tree, 'living water' a lake, 'running the race', an athletic field, 'boundaries' then a road or fence, etc...

The only complaint was that there was not enough devotion times. Not a bad complaint. My only problem was that I had no bible: I had already given my two spares to folks who forgot.

We played Human foosball, which only pictures can describe, and enjoyed a delectable lunch and dinner. The only downside with the dinner was the torrential rain and the tornadic activity in the area. So we ate quickly and went to a shelter for a few hours. The rain subsided, we went on a hayride, the tents got wet, 6 folks 'slept' in cars that evening. But we survived-of course my tent only got 'moist'  and we used two towels to dry it up enough to sleep.

 

Sunday morning I gave the quickest sermon I've ever given. Probably 12-15 minutes tops. The temps were in the high 30's-low 40's and kids hadn't slept (and it didn't help that they didn't think about checking the weather report!). A tough crowd to say the least.

 

But God was good to us this weekend. And like the Psalm I preached on (Psalm 91), "no evil came near our tent. (GIV-Geoff's Int'l Version)"  At least not real evil. Just some moisture, and not the tornadic activity some feared. 

It was a restful weekend, but similar to what T.S. Eliot wrote in the Journey of the Magi, "I shall be glad of another rest." Rest in my bed.