Reflections in the mirror...

I'm a little late posting this week, last week was busy. I realized this week that my household has had a weekend guest every weekend since I started back to school. Yes, that can be annoying, but I see it as a pecan. My grown twenty-something children are comfortable enough to bring their friends around every weekend. Now, how could I possibly find negativity in that even though the extra sheets to wash never stop!

Last week, I had my first small group study at my house for the twenty-somethings group I am leading. Though I am way beyond my twenty's, this is very dear to my heart for a couple of reasons. One is for my oldest son. He was participating last year in a small group with a beautiful, vibrant, young woman named Hope. They became good friends. He met her through me because I met her through a small group for women that I hosted back in 2017. Our pastor calls these "chain reactions." We had one. We also had Hope. We loved having her in our family and having her around. My son texted with her daily. Last May, we lost Hope. She died very suddenly of undetermined causes. This small group was to be hosted by Ryan and Hope this fall. Since that was not an option anymore, I took over her place. The second reason I feel like this is important is to give these "too old for youth group, but too young to stay unconnected" young men and women a way to come together. Sometimes we just have to step up and support the causes we believe are important.

Ryan had a couple of guys interested in our group, but we had trouble connecting to the females because we really didn't know any. I saw a sweet, young girl that I had worked with at the youth department and invited her. That was all it took. I had barely reached home that Sunday before she sent a request to join our small group. Then she had some friends that she encouraged to join as well. We were on our way! We had nine twenty somethings that signed up! Five young men and four young women!

Our first meeting was to be in my backyard (which is a pecan story in itself). We had a fire pit with roasting hot dogs and s'mores over the fire. The weather had finally cooled off and was cool and cloudy for our first meeting. Ryan and I were all prepared.

Our small group began to show up and gathered around the fire. The young lady that I asked about joining us was the only female to show up. And boy did she show up big time. She talked with those four other guys and cooked her own hot dogs and s'mores. She was a trooper.

At about eight o'clock, it began to rain. We had to come inside at that point. Since we started group at six, I thought they would begin to leave. Not so. They gathered in my family room on the sofa and asked for a deck of UNO cards. They played cards for several more hours. First UNO, then Liar's Poker. I know right? This is a church sponsored group and yes I allowed it. Why? Because they were having fun! Ecclesiastes 3:1 and 4 say, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:" "a time to weep and a time to laugh." The sounds of their laughter were beautiful. I thought of Hope and how much she would have loved this moment. She would have been sitting right there playing cards and laughing too. It made me smile and think - she is here. Her spirit surrounds them as they sit here and gather together.

All of this happened, but it still wasn't the best gift I got that night. I mean this was a pecan of gigantic proportions, but the best pecan was found later. About eleven o'clock, they began to leave. They had formed a chat group through texting and were beginning to talk about going to the NC State Fair together in a couple of weeks. I was more than thrilled. My son was grinning from ear to ear. He was so happy to have such a great group of young people sitting around playing cards and laughing and joking and loving life. It was good for my soul.

After they all left, we sat around and talked for a few more minutes about what a fantastic evening we all had. One of them stayed the night. I went to my room ready to climb into bed because I am not a twenty something any more and I was exhausted. Usually on a Saturday night, I am in bed around 9:00! This was way past my bed time.

I head into my bathroom and turn on the lights and was shocked at what was in front of me. The young lady that I had invited had been to my bathroom just before she left and had discovered that I write on my bathroom mirror for inspiration. She wrote on my mirror too. "You are amazing! I am so excited to get to know you over the next few months!" I cried tears of joy. What a pecan! Just because I went out of my way to include her in something that I thought she might enjoy! God had just increased my territory- just like in The Prayer of Jabez!

The note is still on my mirror. I can't seem to bring myself to erase it. I look at it each day and am thankful that I had an opportunity to bless someone else and receive a blessing as well. Those are really the best pecans to get! Dance with Jesus for me Hope! Your small group is going to be just fine!