Silver Creek Plunge...

A couple of weeks ago, we went on a mini vacation with some friends (the other pastor at our church, Josh, his wife Green, their boys and their friends).  A mutual friend we have allowed us to use their cabin up in the mountains so that we could all get away for a while.  We took our dogs, too much food, no agenda and spent four days in the wilderness.  It's a cute little cabin with it's own outhouse and too many spiders to count but we loved it!

We had fun sitting in the (freezing cold) creek, playing a ton of spike ball and frisbeer (too which we heard the endless arguing of 4 very competitive teenage boys the whole weekend), and laying in hammocks under big pine trees.  

Down the hill from the cabin, there was a large field in front of the campground lodge.  As we were packing up all of our yard games one night, a woman and her 10 year old son came yelling to us asking if the lodge was still open.  It was getting dark and the lodge had just closed.  Her shirt was torn wide open and she was pushing a bike and her son was being tugged along by their two big dogs.  

As we began to hear her story, these 4 teenage boys who did nothing but bicker about games all weekend, swooped in and loved her and her little boy in the best ways possible.  She had gotten into a fight with a niece and didn't want to return to camp.  She wanted to go home but the soonest anyone would be there would be at least 3 hours and it was dark and getting cold.  These boys were ready and willing to do whatever they could to help and especially cared for the little boy who was upset and scared and in need of a friend in that moment.  They brought fire wood and snacks down to the field from the cabin so we could all stay warm and keep the little guy's mind off of everything.  They wanted to give him the world and protect her at the same time.  It was such a sweet moment to see them be the hands of Jesus to these people we didn't even know and were so different from all of us.  

Long story, short….Benj, Josh, and the lodge owner took them back to camp and made sure all was well, while the boys and Green and I cleaned up and went back to the cabin to wait for their return.  As we talked with the boys at the cabin, their hearts were opened and they were able to see what living on mission and for Jesus really looks like.  They had a fire in their hearts to see justice and peace restored to these strangers' lives.  

It's amazing to see how God used us there in that camp ground, at just the right time to help care for someone in need, even on our vacation.  And I am so thankful for how God shaped my own heart in that moment.  As much as I wanted to be warm and dry in the cabin or around our fire, He allowed me to watch Him at work and gave me an excitement for what he can do when we really live our lives obedient to Him.  

Samson was pooped and slept for two days after we got home :)