chicago student staff

The traveling continues!  I spent this weekend in Chicago for the YL student staff weekend.  Well if I'm being technical, this year it was called the YL mission community weekend because there were more people there than just student staff.  Anyways, I love this weekend.  It's the third time I've been and it's always a good time.  YL is a small world, duh.  You always know someone who knows someone or someone knows you because they know someone--you know what I mean--how it takes over an hour to get from the Club room to your room to go to bed because you keep seeing people you know or someone flags you down.  But that's always one thing that makes these weekends special and this year in Chicago was no exception.  I saw people from home, student staff friends from Purdue, and YL staff/volunteers whom I've done assignments with.  So good!

But my favorite part of the weekend was seeing my old YL leader!  Hands down my favorite part.  I haven't seen her in almost five years.  Crazy.  We have exchanged periodic, catch-up-on-life emails but that's about it so it was SO good to see her.  And the baby!!  Ah, he's so precious.  We got coffee in Lincoln Park for two hours and he slept the whole time!  Didn't say a peep!  Just laid there, peaceful as ever.  Adorbs.  It was really cool to hear her speak about Wes.  He was a premie and it was really powerful to hear her tell their family's story.  How it was so hard but how God was present in all of it.  Even before Wes was born--they live around the corner from the hospital he stayed in for months.  God knew that they were going to be there a lot.  And how she felt like something was wrong and could prepare herself (if that's even possible) for a hard road.  And to hear her speak of the peace she felt from the Lord in the process.  How she and Bain genuinely relied on the Lord and how it changed their marriage and their family and their jobs.  Even the fact that without a doubt they're planning on more kids--that the good in this situation was far greater than the bad.  It was touching to hear her say these things, to share their story, and see the joy in her eyes.  Knowing full well the long hard road they've been through and to see her as a glowing new mother.  It brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.  Really, it does.

Seeing her made me feel a little bit like things were coming full circle.  I love that we haven't seen each other in years and we can just pick right back up.  The conversation was real and easy and meaningful.  We had to leave because our parking meters had expired, not because we had nothing to talk about.  Meeting on Saturday afternoon just hit home for me the idea that I am part of something bigger.  We are all part of something bigger.  This is what community is.  Our friendship was based on sharing Jesus together and that is still true.  We are a family joined together by Christ.  Someday, I will sit in that same position.  Catching up with one of my YL girls whom I've loved on and prayed for and cried over.  Hopefully there won't be a five-year time lapse in between but if there is, it's okay.  It can still happen.  It will still be significant and the Lord will still be present.  Being a YL leader isn't just a thing I do.  It doesn't end when I graduate in a few weeks.  It is part of who I am.  Christ has compelled me to lead in this ministry.  To love Jesus and to love kids.  And what a blessing it has been.