Doing the Right Thing

Wills' first "teenage" weekend retreat was scheduled for last weekend. It was with his youth group at Alpharetta First United Methodist, and was held at the Athens Y camp in Toccoa, GA. He was so excited all week as the departure date approached. Michael and I practically had to force him to pack long sleeves, warm clothes, and his new winter coat - also some gloves and a knit cap. We tried to explain that not only is the camp 2 hours further north, but is at a much higher elevation. We finally won out, and he ended up with appropriate layers of clothing in his bag. Now whether he wore them, I have no idea!

We had at least 4 flyers with the detailed itinerary, a packing list, a "what NOT to bring list", etc. The itinerary said that check-in and registration started at 8 PM Friday night. Since there was no other earlier time mentioned in any of the paperwork, we assumed he was to check in at the church (about 1 mile from our house) at 8 PM Friday night.

While Michael was driving home, he got a call on his cell phone from the youth leader. He said they had waited as long as they could for Will, but had to go ahead and let the buses leave. Apparently it was announced verbally that departure from the church was at 6PM. The 8PM Registration and Checkin was to be held at the camp in Toccoa. Turner (the youth leader) said that the departure time was not written anywhere, but was verbally announced at church. We figured that Will probably didn't hear or didn't remember the announcement. For the most part, the other kids in the youth group have parents that also attend AFUMC, so their parents probably heard the announcement. Since Michael and I attend East Cherokee, we didn't hear the announcement, thus missing the bus departure.

Will came to me with big tears welling up in his eyes bearing the news. He was completely crestfallen, thinking he had missed out on his much anticipated trip. His bubble was burst. I tried to calm him down and assured him that we would get him up there somehow. I went to mapquest and mapped out the route. When Michael got home after fighting Friday evening rush hour traffic, we greeted himw with the map and a plea to get back on the road to take Will up to the camp. Michael had already made plans for the evening with a friend, but didn't hesitate to cancel, load Will up, and head off into the dark, cold, winter nightl. Counting the return trip, that put him on the road for 5 more hours.

You could see the happiness flood Will's face as he realized he was to be reunited with his group. I assured him that he'd be no more that 1 hour late and wouldn't miss much at all. I was so proud of Michael for taking on the task gladly. I know he was tired, cold, it was inconvenient, and to top it off he already had plans of his own. So many of us, even parents, choose not to do the right thing if it is inconvenient or gets in the way of our own plans. Michael did the right thing with a smile, and considering the event, probably made an eternal impact. Another good peice of news is that Michael saw Andrew at the camp on Friday night working as a camp helper. We were glad to know that he was spending the weekend in a wholesome environment too.

Will got home around 1PM on Sunday. He was pumped! He said they had a live band and the music was going "all weekend", and they were jumping up and down and moving all weekend. He said the walls of the meeting room were covered with names written in chalk - names of people that had accepted Christ as their saviour in that room, going back into the 1920's. He said he didn't write his name because he had already become a Christian at the "BBQ Church". This was a small group we worshiped with at a BBQ restaurant a few years ago. He enjoyed the weekend so much that he volunteered to go back this weekend as a helper. Since that would interfere with his Upward game and his Confirmation class, we didn't let him go, but it was wonderful to see his enthusiasm. He's already talking about Summer Youth Camp and can't wait to go.

This is good stuff. Any parent knows that kids will find something to keep themselves busy, and if they aren't busy with positive activities, they will fill the void with less-than positive outlets. I am reminded of the many youth trips I was blessed to attend and how much I enjoyed them, and what a positive influence they had on my life. Will has found a good fit at AFUMC, and for that I am truely grateful. This will be a wonderful influence on him as he progresses through Middle and High school.

So, our baby has been initiated into church youth group trips, and can't wait to go on more. By the next trip, he'll probably feel like a veteran and will most likely be planning pranks well in advance. I have a few of those up my sleeve to share with him - I can't wait!