Well, it’s been a few days, but I have returned. Oh no you don’t blogosphere, don’t think you can get rid of me that easily! I have been on a youth retreat and back again, and have lived to tell about it. Actually, all in all, it was a really enjoyable and beneficial trip. The weather generally co-operated, contrary to what the forcasters told us. We had somewhat cold but generally dry weather so we were able to keep warm enough in the cabins but also have the chance to go out and play some games. The main focus of the weekend though was our focus on social justice issues. I am a definite believer that preaching the “good news” gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ is important, but as I’ve stated before on other posts, I think modern evangelicals forgot about the whole “take care of the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens” and the “love mercy, seek justice, and walk humbly with your God part”. I could go on for a while about that, but I’ve done that in previous posts if you really want to read more of my thoughts on that subject. So the weekend was spent going through a curriculum called The Jusice Mission.
As usually happens when you go to teach a lesson, you usually wind up learning as much or more than those you hope to teach. It was a great challenging weekend for the kids and myself. It was apalling to see the injustice going on around the world that we so easily gloss over in North America. On average, it takes about $500-$1000 to free a person from an oppressive situation (slavery, prostitution, etc.) in an overseas country. In just a quick survey we had that amount of money invested just in ipods in our youth group of 10 kids. It kind of gives you a sick feeling inside when you realize that you could have saved the life of a person but instead chose to use it to entertain yourself and thus provide yourself the necessary distractions to keep on going in the lifestyle you’ve always enjoyed. I realize that there is nothing wrong with enjoying our lives here on earth, but I don’t think I will ever look at money in the same way again after this weekend.
Getting on to the whole “one day closer to dead” part of my post, I am now 27 years old. It really quite unbelievable. It really set in this weekend when “I Want it That Way” by BSB came on the stereo as it was played on my ipod and none of the kids in the youth group had ever heard the song before. I then realized that that song was a radio single when the oldest of the kids was four years old and the youngest of the group hadn’t even been conceived yet. Now I realize that it was an oldish song to start with, but I never really realized it was that old. Anyways, yes it’s true, I am now only three years from thirty. For some I realize that thirty is a real landmark age, but for me it doesn’t really make a big difference. I already feel like I’m old beyond my years with all the life experiences I’ve had over the past five years. It’s like I tell the kids in my youth group, “enjoy your youth now because it’s all downhill after 21.” Of course I say that somewhat jokingly, I do enjoy my life, but I can already tell that my body is sore, my time is short, and my responsibilities are high. Life is good, but there are days that I yearn for the carefree dorm living days of 21. Enough pining for “back in the day” though . . . I’m so old.
In trying to keep in line with my “New Music Monday” title, I searched for some aliteration to work with Tuesday. Unfortunately, there are no synonyms for alone that start with “T” so I went with solitary and figured it was close enough. My solitude was not the plan for the evening, yet none the less it is the way the evening has played out. This however is the outcome that results from a cranky child that needs an early bedtime and an exhausted wife with a migraine who’s in bed by 7:30pm. Thankyou to Chris and Sheena who broke up the desolation through the instant messenger, but alas my fate is sealed. Maybe I’ll break out the Rockband for a while before going to bed myself. I can’t believe it’s only 9:54pm and I’m already considering bedtime . . . I’m so old.
Humble Musings of a Curious Man 