Rainy days are never incentive to be outside and yesterday was no exception. As I began working with a group of students from a high school gym class, I found myself not only working against the weather, but forgetting that somewhere between high school and growing up, we become "too cool to play". I recall one look I received yesterday, something along the lines of, "Are you kidding me? There is no way running around and laughing is something you'll catch me doing!" And yet still, I invited them to play.
After trying out a few tag games and agreeing on some goals for the day, I decided to take my group to the Meuse. This particular activity requires the entire team to be involved for a good portion of the time, which was one of their goals - to work together and get to know each other. What better way to do that then problem-solve and balance next to one another on boards? So they began. Time and again, they found themselves starting from the beginning: equipped with more knowledge on what needs to happen and how to make that happen, but not necessarily thinking about their balance. And like all things in life, if we ignore the parts of our life that are becoming unbalanced, the whole of ourselves begins to feel the unsteadiness of our decision. So it was for my group and before I knew it, half of them had given up. The other half, after being ignored for the first hour? Took up the challenge, picked up the pieces and began building the bridge once more. While I'd like to say that it was teamwork that got them through, I often wonder if that's what Christ would say of us, when He took up our mistakes while we were pouting and bore them on the Cross. After trying so desperately to make it work, how often do I give up and sulk in the corner, hands shoved deep in my pockets and glaring at the One who was only trying to make me see in the first place? Then watching, slowly, as He picks up the pieces and slowly starts rebuilding, bearing my brokenness so that I can walk across. Teamwork? Not from my perspective. But I think Christ, brimming over with grace, might speak differently. I imagine him standing there, talking, glancing back with a wink and saying, "Yes, we did it together." I don't know if my group got all of that from their frustrations, but I do know the cheering and relief at the end was more than audible. And the rest of the day? Let's just say lots of laughter ensued on the wires of a low ropes course down the hill...
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