Into the Great Wide Open

This weekend I will venture off into the great unknown that is, a youth retreat at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. I will be out of cell phone range and there will be no wireless. What am I supposed to DO for 3 days?

Actually, I've been on this youth retreat probably 6 times; a few as a youth myself and a few as a chaperone (I know, it's like the bad kids becoming cops). The reality is that after having gone on this retreat so many times, I have never really had a good experience there. The reasons have varied from lame speakers to cheesy music to bringing a boyfriend with me (HELLO DISASTER!!!) to my ex telling me he was engaged...less than a year after we were engaged...while we were both singing in the praise band...on the retreat. HELLO HELL.

When our youth leader asked me to come this year I told her I'd have to think about it. I mean, practically speaking, trying the same things over and over again usually doesn't yield different results, right? What makes me think this year will be different?

I finally said yes but only after hearing which kids will be there. My heart is with adolescent girls and there are a few that I am really looking forward to hanging out with this weekend. So God, that's how you got me there. The big question is How are you going to use me?

So here I go, off into the great unknown. Hanging out in the woods with a little praise music (which I know will be good), (hopefully) a good speaker and some really great kids.

Now, if I could just avoid getting a speeding ticket like that one year...