Refreshing Exhaustion

Our Youth for Christ national staff conference ended yesterday afternoon, with a national board meeting following until noon today. Such an experience gives us all a chance to get a "feel" for what's going on in our mission across the country. Very unscientific stuff, to be sure.

But if, for instance, we bumped into complaints and cynicism as often as we jostled our way through the hallways we'd be pretty discouraged with what our YFC family was feeling. Not to mention the fact that it's pretty hard to lead when there's a lack of trust or credibility.

The really cool thing is that we seem to be riding a crest of confidence in our national leadership, especially as it's concentrated in our YFC president, Dan Wolgemuth. It's hard to compare Dan as a leader to anyone else I've known. His desire to follow Jesus with abandon as we engage in our mission to reach kids far from God is compelling. And he invites us to join him without the slightest hint of having a cheesy or choreographed style. Authenticity and transparency are staples of Dan's character. His sacrificial work on behalf of the mission is viral.

I love the challenges and opportunities of leading in the environment that has been largely created by the favor of God beaming out from my boss. I find a weird sort of refreshment even on the tail end of exhausting service like I engaged in this week. When I'm weak, I'm strong. Go figure.