Spring Break 2012: Letting Go and Letting God

That's right, they're off! Spring Break 2012 is officially in full swing and we currently have 13 amazing trips and around 140 total individuals (students of various grade levels, upperclassman student leaders, and staff mentors) who are out serving and learning together in communities across the country. This year we have trips connecting with agencies in:

Americus, Georgia

Baltimore, Maryland

Biloxi, Mississippi

Boston, Massachusetts

Grand Isle, Louisiana

Houma, Louisiana

Kermit, West Virginia

Knoxville, Tennessee

Mendenhall, Mississippi

Mobile, Alabama

North Carolina Wilderness

Three Rivers, Michigan

St. Louis, Missouri

It was so exciting to send off all of these groups On Friday! Yet, as thrilled as I was on Friday I am more excited (excited is an understatement. I absolutely cannot WAIT) to hear the stories they will come back telling - stories of joy and laughter, of painful sights and difficult realities, of all they have learned and encountered. Yet, in the aftermath of Friday's excitement, in back of my head I find myself saying 'what if that doesn't happen? What if they don't learn anything? What if they focus too much on the work and don't see the opportunity to learn? What if the group dynamics aren't good?' What if, What if, What if. Worrying. asking questions. having doubts.

Well that was yesterday. How perfect is God's timing that my devotional this morning was about not worrying, but trusting God to provide for us (check out Matthew 6:34). It was then that I remembered a sermon I once heard on this verse. It was about letting go of our worries and even the smallest of doubts and letting God work - because that's all we can do. We must do all we can, the best we can, as much as we can and then let God do the rest. We have to give it all to him and then leave room for him to work while we wait in expectation that his will WILL be done.

So today, I pray for every single participant this prayer (excerpt from the book of Common Prayer by Shane Claiborne):

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

Amen

Peace and Blessings to all,

Emily