Re: Connect

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Several months ago I was asked to be part of the leadership team for our Conference Young Adult retreat.  The retreat is called Re: Connect  {re: being the retreat itself and the purpose was to connect. Connect with God to discern where you are being called to connect into the world}.  I was excited because honestly I love being with young adults.

I have always loved being with young adults because they see the world so differently.  They are not afraid to take a leap. Young adults are always caught in the 'in between'. I love listening to their stories.

This morning I received a text for my friend and colleague telling me about the group that I'd be hiking with and speaking to.

The text read: "6 boys from Greenbrier and Lindsey"

I was a bit taken back.

Three years ago I left Greenbrier to make the move to the mountain and my sweet community of Morton Memorial UMC and Lindsey grew up across the street from my Nannie and PawPaw;attending the church that my own family helped to build so long ago.

I wasn't expecting to really know the young adults within whom I would be sharing my personal story and journey of faith with.  I didn't expect to be walking alongside a group of persons with whom I had given a part of my heart and soul in a different part of my journey.

As soon as I saw them I loved that we had been brought together to experience this time of Re:Connect.

Re:  standing together to experience God
Connect:  connecting to God, listening together to one another's stories and be joined in the journey in a fresh way as we encountered God's calling in our lives.

Today I had the privilege of connecting to them as young adults; with new questions, deeper longings and harder questions about life.  I had the privilege of connecting to them where they are today.  They do not have it all figured out and were so honest about that.  They did not hold back from sharing their failures and the steps that they had taken in making their life a bit different than before.

I am thankful for the Re:Connect.

I am thankful for the opportunity to see youth growing into young adults.

As I prepared for my message I was able to re:connect to my own story in a  way that I had not fully thought of before.

What do you need to re:connect to?  Where do you need to push the world away and connect to God?  Who is God asking you to connect to?



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