youth retreats and holy places

I just got home from a retreat in the Eastern Townships with the sweet teens from my church community- something I look forward to every year. As most good things do, the weekend went by swiftly, in the blink of an eye. It was a time of community, rest, worship and lungfuls of fresh, crisp air. Winter has arrived early in Quebec this year, and we were blessed with the magical view of forests covered in a blanket of snow. 

Little makes me exhale like the sight of an evergreen nestled in snow fallen heavy, the sound of my tribe laughing and playing on the lake-turned-ice, the taste of foam-kissed coffee, the smell of a crackling fire in a wood stove. 

The Tracy cottage at Lac Malaga was the place where my own youth leaders brought me as a curious, ungainly twelve-year-old girl with side bangs and little confidence. This is the place I first met with God, experienced the importance of vulnerability, came to understand I could be fully known and fully loved. 

For ten years now, I have come back to the cottage with an ever-changing group of teenagers (my peers when I was young, and my juniors as of recent) for weekends of convivial play, prayer, devotions, time in open spaces. Leading a youth ministry is no easy task, but this weekend reminded me of how much I love (need) it. 

To me, the cottage is a holy place- set apart for relishing the goodness of creation, the power of prayer and worship, the importance of breaking bread together. I know that, biblically, God's presence is not confined to specific places. Yet, I could swear there is something tangible about His presence at the cottage... as if I could reach out and feel Him sit by me beside the lake or in the loft overlooking the woods. 

This morning, unexpectedly, our breath caught to a song of praise, and I was overwhelmed by gratitude and a whirlwind of love for this mismatched group of people. We're a motley crew, but laugh much and clash little. There is no denying we are brought together by holy things- allowing us to feel at home and breathe easy in each other's presence despite the many dissimilarities between us. 

I thanked God for every personality present in that blue cottage. Each of them is an image bearer, showing an aspect of our God and His beauty. Some make me laugh 'til I split my sides, others delight me as they describe their ideas and dreams, and many get me thinking with their questions, sincere and intricate, about faith and God. I will cherish these hours spent together, deep in the woods, fully content in simply being together. I'll tuck deep in my heart these memories of the snow glistening, the frisbee being thrown, the wide game victory (go team blue!), the conversations, the manifold passages read, the hot cocoa brewing, the chorus of prayers whispered. 

For all the stress and frustration that come with coordinating a group of teenagers, organizing rides and a schedule, ensuring no one forgets their sleeping bags or scarves, remembering to arrive with an open mind and good energy... my heart swells at the thought of going back in the Spring. 

Youth retreats and youth ministry are chaos, no doubt, but a beautiful chaos. 

A holy one.