kelly & jenn

Aiee!! Another breathlessly hurried week--company both weekends, oral midterms at Claremont, preaching this Sunday, obliged to have all materials for the revision of Fuller's online ethics course submitted by next Friday. I keep promising that the next week things will slow down and I'll get back into the regular habit of blogging, but each week I discover that I've underestimated the work I have to do. Next week, however, I promise that things will slow down and I'll get back into the regular habit of blogging....

But hey, right now I'm up at an unexpected hour, and I want to take advantage of this to say a word of thanks to Kelly and Jennifer, from the youth group I shepherded in Carnation some twelve years ago, who came down last week to spend a few days with Karla and me. One of the great and unexpected longterm joys of youth ministry has been the cultivation of friendships with teenagers who move on to become adults who no longer simply look to me as pastor and teacher, but enter into that relationship mutually, such that they, in many ways, become my pastors and teachers. From Wenatchee, Corey, Jim, Rita, Heather, Dan and Holly; from Carnation, Kelly, Jenn, Kenny, Jared, Sarah, Amariah, Ryan, Steffan, Julie, Megan, Karly (and of course I at least have to mention Jackie here)--to greater or lesser degrees, people who have maintained contact, dropped in unforeseen with words of encouragement, or crossed paths with mine at important moments. People through whom God blesses and strengthens me in ways that may well go beyond whatever contributions I made to their lives in the first place.

Jennifer is now married and has a daughter who has brought to the surface her deep capacity to nurture and to bear in herself the needs and concerns. Kelly, who is single, has developed a quiet reflectiveness that often goes undetected under the daily demands of her job, but that slowly comes out when tapped. They came over the weekend not to be entertained, but only to be present in whatever way could be helpful to Karla and me. To see the two of you was a gift.