People told me for the last 6 months being a WOW leader is exhausting. They were right. People have told me for the last 6 months how pointless 90% of endless training is. They were right. People have told me for the last 6 months how much money I would spend on this week. Again, they were right. Summer savings = gone.

But what nobody told me is that this week the presence of Jesus would be SO constantly evident, & I would end the week feeling loved & recharged & overflowing with the joy of the Lord.

This week was hard. I slept 4 hours a night & spent $300+ & sat through dumb meeting after dumb meeting for kids who sometimes didn’t even say thank you. Or kids who sometimes would rather be drinking the day away than spending it at the beach with me. This week I learned that being a soldier for Christ’s army can be frustrating, tiring, confusing… you get the point. But boy, is it life-giving. Shoot.

What a blessing it is to introduce 13 kids to their jaw-dropping new home. What a blessing it is to show them the type of life we were intended to live – the type of joy that is pure & genuine & God-given. What a blessing it is to be the person these kids will call if they’re in trouble at a party – to be trusted by strangers whose value sets are completely unparalleled to mine.

All I know is that I am full. The reality is that most of these kids are going to screw up more than a few times this year. Most of them might never follow Jesus or step foot in a church. Odds are, this year their Saturday nights will end the same time my Sunday mornings begin.

But now, most of them know that they are worthy. They are worthy of life and life to the fullest. They know that there is so much more to college than stressing over school or nights alcohol says you won’t remember. And I got to be a part of that. More importantly, Jesus got to be a part of that.

Watching Him work in these kids lives this week through me and Archie is something I will never take for granted. Real life starts again today and it is so so bittersweet. This year, I am ready to remember the value or little everyday interactions hold. I am ready to love people and love people well. I am ready to build a kingdom here.

Romans 12:1-2 – Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters- in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy & pleasing to God. This is your true & proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world – but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, & perfect will.