After just getting back from our Youth weekend away at an awesome venue up in the dales, we're hyped, exhausted but hyped at the presence of God that we felt over the weekend. From canoeing on the lake (soaking each other with sponges!) and a roaring campfire complete with a sing-song to sharing meals together, nighttime walks & competing in archery teams trying to shoot balloons, it was an amazing weekend!
The leaders based the weekend around what you take on a journey, like the things we were doing at the weekend - walking, climbing, other activities. Each leader undertook a session, about 5 minutes which resulted in a card (which all hung on a carabiner) being given out with whatever that leader thought summed up that talk. For instance, the on one side of the card there was a map and the reading from Proverbs 3 v 6:
'In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.'
On the reverse it asked some questions - Where am I? Where am I going? What's the purpose of my journey? Other cards included a torch, an alarm clock & a helmet before the last card given out during the last few minutes of weekend fellowship was a pair of walking boots & a reading from Matthew 28 v 19:
'Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Lord.'
The last two questions were What will you do with God's word? & How can you change the world?
It got me thinking, as I didn't actually do a five minute talk or anything (purely there on a technical basis) I wondered what I would pick, what I would talk about, what would be on my card? The symbol on the front of my card would be of clothes.
On a journey, as we found out when we all got drenched in the lake, you need a change of clothes. In relation to our journey with God, we need change. Not only an initial change to let God into your life, but to help change other people's lives, to share our knowledge of Jesus & impact the biggest of all changes on this world.
I would also have the song title by a band called MercyMe (I will post this as our song of the week tomorrow) which is about changing, doing little things just to make others feel better about themselves, to change the world one good act at a time. On the reverse of my card I would have put this quote from the film (I'm a big movie geek) Evan Almighty:
God: How do we change the world?
Evan Baxter: One single act of random kindness at a time.
God: [spoken while writing A-R-K on ground with a stick] One Act, of, Random, Kindness.
So there we are, there's my card. Look forward & make sure you listen to the song of the week tomorrow & as it says in our pack of cards, a couple of readings for reference:
'Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.' - James 4 v 14
'Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.' - 1 Timothy 4 v 12
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