Fun at Snow Camp

This past weekend I was up at Monadnock Bible Conference with our church's youth group for a winter retreat.  I think we had a pretty good balance of fun and seeking God.  I love the enthusiasm and energy that young people bring to these events, not just with games but also in singing to the Lord and in letting God break their hearts when we hear about things like children in Haiti that need God's tangible love and healing.  Although, its funny how that enthusiasm dwindles when we get into small groups and try to get everyone to share what they've been learning where their walk with God is concerned :) 

There's all sorts of things I could share about specifically this weekend, but I wanted to share about where God showed up after the retreat ended and we were on our way back home.  We were packing up our bags and heading out to load our vehicles, and I went into my coat pocket to get my keys only to find them missing.  I was quite confident that my jacket was the only place I had put my keys, but I checked all my other bags and the pockets in my clothes.  I thought about the last time I had taken them out, which was in the morning the day before when I went tubing with some kids.  But I knew that I had zipped the pocket then to make sure the keys didn't fall out on the hill.  As I thought a little more, I realized that there was still a good chance that those keys were on the hill... That previous evening the kids asked me to come tubing once more since it would be more slippery than during the day.  We impulsively went out without boots or snow pants, and it was the run of the day actually.  However, as I was recalling all of this, I realized that I probably hadn't zipped the pocket my keys were in that night.  And it had snowed several inches during the night after we tubed, so the keys would be buried!  It would be like finding a needle in a haystack.  

So I went out to the hill along with another leader friend and starting kicking through the snow that had covered the tubing trail.  I prayed, "Lord, I'm pretty sure my keys are buried on this hill, and I know that I should have been more careful with my keys, but if they are here, would you please help us find them?"  After several minutes and still plenty of ground to cover, we were about to give up and just squeeze everyone into the other vehicles.  Just then, my friend Amanda stepped on something that wasn't snow, and sure enough it was my keys.  I was very thankful for God's generosity in helping us find that needle in a haystack.

Our last group discussion before the key incident was about how we can bring God's love to others.  We closed with praying that God would help us to intentionally bless and help others and share his love, and also that we would have safe travels home.  After finding my keys we headed home.  Just before getting back, a car in front of us slid (roads were still slick form the snow storm) and got stuck in a snow bank on the side of the highway.  There was a group of about 18 of us traveling together, so we pulled over, sent a couple of people down the road to get traffic to stop, then a bunch more of us got into the snow bank and pushed the car out. It turned out to be people we had met at the retreat who were in that car. Everybody was okay, and were thankful to not have to wait for a tow truck.  Another car farther back had slid into a snow bank too, and a few people had pulled over to help them, but it wasn't enough.  So our crew of leaders and kids went and helped get that person out too.  By the time a police car showed up there was nothing for them to do, everyone was already pulling back onto the highway safe and sound, and we had gotten an opportunity to work together to help people in a very practical, but unexpected way.

This song goes out to all my youth retreat buddies, may God continue the good work He has begun in you.