The title of this post resonates in so many ways as we pack to return to Lincolnshire. We are all certainly saying it as we get ready to come back home after a week away. Vance Moore is saying it as he enjoys living in a newly-built parsonage and worshipping in a continually-improving sanctuary. And I know Dee Jones is saying it as she looks over her house that is a week closer to being home again.
Last night was an eventful one! After dinner we did a bit of packing (and a few more balloon animals!), then headed off to Zach’s Frozen Yogurt (or as I said, Frogen Yozurt) for a Friday treat. I don’t know if the workers were thrilled or terrified to see 26 people coming in! We all enjoyed our yogurt treats and the time we spent together.
After returning to Westside, we divided into three crews and cleaned the mission center as thoroughly as possible. With a big group working, it didn’t take very long, and the place looks pretty good. Don’t let your youth tell you they’ve never worked a broom or a mop!
We were up again this morning at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast, packing, and the last touches of cleaning. Right now we are finishing those tasks and getting ready to load up and head to the airport. We are ready to get home!
Last night for our reflections, we talked about all the sounds, smell, colors and tastes we’ll remember from this week. It was a neat way to think back on on all that we have experienced this past week. I ended up with over 5 pages of reflections! That’s a testimony to the meaningfulness of our time here in New Orleans.
We also talked about the scripture where Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” On the surface, this verse can sound harsh and very difficult to follow. We’re glad to follow Jesus, but do we have to bear a cross on our backs to do it? What’s rewarding about that aspect of Christianity?
I told the group last night that every one of them bore a cross this week. For some, it was giving up a week of their summer to be here; for some, it was dealing with the heat and exhaustion; for some, it was doing work they had never done before. For someone on the outside looking in on our trip, this week would most definitely look like a sacrifice and a burden.
But not to us. This week has not been a burden; it’s been a blessing. To a person, we are each leaving here having received so much more than we gave. I wish you could have heard the youth during our reflection time last night as they talked about what they’re taking away from this week. While Ms. Jones and Westside Christian have been the beneficiaries of our work down here, we are the ones who have received the greatest gift. What we have given has been returned to us ten-fold.
Carrying your cross and following Jesus is not about giving things up and making life hard in order to be faithful. It’s about putting yourself in a place to experience God’s blessing. Does that mean giving some things up? Yes, if they stand in the way of our ability to see God. This week there were no TVs, iPods and video games were barely touched, and only a few computers were turned on. And yet, I didn’t hear one person say they missed those things.
This week, we have each carried our cross. Although our shoulders are sore and our backs ache, our crosses weren’t heavy. And I believe that each of the 26 of us which pick it up again in a second.
And now we bring our crosses back to Illinois. New Orleans isn’t the only place were people are in need; there are Ms. Joneses in Mundelein and Waukegan and North Chicago. We come back to pick up our crosses and continue the work that’s been started here, trusting that whatever we give of ourselves will be returned to us ten-fold by God. Praise be to God for the blessings of this week. See you soon!
A few more pictures have been added. Be sure to check them out!
