We had spent the entire weekend in Morehead City talking about being Sold Out and how we were bought with a price, the life of Jesus Christ.  We examined how our lives needed to reflect that.

Friday night, with stomachs stuffed with pizza from our favorite local restaurant, we let each person sit in the middle of the circle and pour out prayer requests about their families.  I had talked about how Jesus came from a long line of crazies but it did not mean he could not be used by God for big things.  They each sat in the middle of their friends and leaders and poured out all of the reasons their lost families was the biggest mission field for each of them.  And we all interceded on behalf of each of them.  We cried with each other as the sharing got intimate and hard to swallow.

Saturday was a whirlwind of emotions as we watched the local Christmas Parade together, spent free time in different groups, and reunited with friends from the summer trip and made new ones when we helped mentally challenged adults do their Christmas shopping at the mall.  We got excited as it snowed and then got bummed when we realized we would go back home in the morning.  We talked about being sold out in our friendships and rocked out some praise and worship in a hotel room. 

I crawled into bed Saturday night exhausted.  It had been mental gymnastics all day, trying to remember all of the reasons why I was making the right decision and trying to stay prayed up for the moment I would tell them.

Sunday came quickly.  We opened with some Praise and Worship time and then I talked about being sold out, even when it doesn’t make sense to us.  And then I fought back the tears as I told them how I had resigned the Wednesday night before.  Blank stares.  Blank stares and a silent room.   

The silence was finally broken by an upbeat chaperon who also happened to be on the Personnel Team who promised they would work it out and then I got my group back.  And the room was suddenly filled with an argument over who could ride back in my car and could we please at least have a lock-in before the end of the year.

We would have a lock-in and I would be so exhausted before our final night together that leaving felt good.  Looking back, I’m pretty sure that was just a gift from the Lord making the transition easier for me.