God go with them, please.

Tired tonight.
We completed our last Wednesday night Youth group meeting tonight with a great supper, some awesome games, and some final work on picnic tables we are making for camp.

Around 38 kids out tonight, I lost count, but kids at so many different places in life. Some graduating and moving on, others just new to youth and learning the new expectations there are of them.

It's bittersweet that way. You've seen the young ones grow and mature in life and faith to the point where you can have great relationships with them, and then off they go, and you start over with a new batch. Yeah, really bittersweet.

Some kids just seem to figure out life well, and make progress. Others, others just seem to struggle again and again, never seemingly gain ground. It's hard to see them struggle so much, and end up no further ahead. Makes my heart heavy.

I'm going to miss them, these young faces and passionate hearts. But I hope they have a great summer and that we can meet up again in autumn.

The leaders I've had to work with have been superb. That has made the work so much better and more enjoyable than it could ever have been. Without them, this year would have been far less than successful. I am deeply grateful for their tireless work and love for these kids. They are what made this year a success.

So, tonight I'm tired, a bit sad, grateful, and pleased that we were able to help a large bunch of kids grow up a bit, and move closer to God.


God go with them, please.