Greetings From Dayton, TN

So basically, this weekend was awesome. Here we go . . .

First, my friends all came down Friday night to Cookeville for my friend Casady’s birthday- who goes to Tech also. We had such an awesome time, and it was great that we could just pick up where we left off. No one had really changed, and the time we had all spent apart just made us appreciate each other more. It was so great just talking to them and catching up and just being with them. I am so thankful for each one of them. God has blessed me with some amazing friends! 

The whole gang at Crawdaddy's Restaurant in Cookeville

Corey Montgomerey is one of my best friends in the whole wide world! I have missed her a LOT!

 So then I woke up at 4:30 (after going to sleep at one AM- go me) and made the drive to Dayton, TN- in Rhea County, just outside of Chattanooga to go to a “Disciple Now” weekend at my roommate Joey’s high school sponsored by their FCA. Okay so here’s the funny part- I was exhausted and hungry on the trip down there, but Joey had given me his GPS to put in my car to get there, and I didn’t want to mess it up so I never stopped, until I realized I was just about out of gas, but the only problem was- by the time I realized that I was in the middle of nowhere, as the GPS had been taking me through back roads the whole way down. Finally a found a gas station in Granview, TN- incidentally the gas station also doubled as the town post office. 

The Disciple Now weekend was a twenty-four hour event for middle schoolers and high schoolers around the town. Joey and his band led worship, and all three of us helped with groups. I was with the seventh graders. This is what I have come to find out about seventh graders: They ALL have ADHD- every single one. And they say some funny things. I was sitting next to one the kids in my group and I smelled this strong scent of cologne and said, “Is that you?” and he responds proudly, “Classic Match from Wal-Mart baby!” later on as we were wrapping up one of our small group sessions I asked the kids if anyone wanted to pray, and one of our kids enthusiastically raised his hand so I said ‘go ahead’ so he prayed . . . 

Dear Lord, be with our basketball game we dun got  goin’ on right now- help us bring home a win.
Be with all of tha sick folk everywhere in the world dear God and make ‘em feel better
And be with everyone ridin’ around in a car, help them not to have no wrecks. Amen. 

It was funny, but very sincere. But in addition to many funny moments, God also opened my eyes up to so many things this weekend. We were told to try and pull aside our kids at some point during the night for “one on one time” to ask them what was going on in their life, about their relationship with the Lord, and to pray with them and I was amazed at some of the things these kids had going on in their lives. I felt awful because one of our kids just really grated on my nerves, and I just thought to myself, ‘Why does he act like this?’ Well come to find out his parents had recently divorced and his Dad was in prison. Another one of my kids parents had recently divorced also, had moved twice in the past couple of years, and his father had recently suffered a stroke. A lot of these kids were dealing with heavy issues that I can’t imagine or relate too, and as I sat there talking with them I was convicted as I thought to myself how often I think ‘Life isn’t fair . . .  I don’t deserve this . . . Why did God do this to me?’ when in my eighteen years of living I’ve never had to deal with most of the issues these kids had at such a young age.

Also, with the exception of mission trips to Canada with church in past years, this was the first time I attended one of these events in a ‘helping’ role, which was good for me because with that came some accountability. I knew that before I poured into the seventh graders, my heart had to be in the right place. I had to be sincere, and I had to ask God for words because I knew that on my own I wouldn’t say one thing worth saying. 

At my church back home, our youth pastor often says at services things to the effect of “God brought you here today . . . You are not here by accident.” And of course I knew that to be true, but I also remember thinking at times, ‘Um- I always come here. What’s new? This is my routine.’ Well at the Disciple Now weekend when Joey was leading worship he said something similar, and asked us to think about all the other places we could’ve been- and this time for me, there were many. I was very reluctant to go. Joey didn’t have to invite me, and I didn’t have to go- but I was there. And I know God had a reason for my being there. And while I may not have been the ‘target audience’ of the event- he didn’t care, he used it to do a work in my heart while I was there too.  What an amazing weekend. 

PS- So my roommate Joey’s parents own a chinese restaurant in Dayton, TN. Well anyone that knows me knows that I love chinese food with a passion so we went there for lunch today- best general tso’s chicken and crab rangoons I’d ever had- and surprisingly good sweet tea. I tried to pay- but they wouldn’t let me. So I thought to myself, “What can I do?” – And I came up with a shameless plug for it on my blog (although I kind of doubt I have a large reader base in the Dayton, TN/ greater Chattanooga area, but oh well). SO if you’re ever in Dayton, TN (a short drive from Chattanooga) then come to Peking House! I couldn’t find a website but this link should take you to a site w/ their address and phone number.  

 

Rhea County TN is beautiful this time of the year!