Make My Heart Happy

This weekend I headed back to Dallas to help out at Chi Alpha because I had a long weekend.  Last year my favorite part about Chi Alpha was watching my former “kids” come back as leaders.  This year I was told that none of them would be leaders this year so I was a little saddened.

Then imagine my surprise when Friday night I was standing behind the Café and see the one and only face of Kaley Janes come walking up!  I about lost it and started jumping up and down.  Then as if my excitement couldn’t get any bigger she proceeds to tell me that not only is she here, but so is Millie, Ashton, Drew, Austen, Spenny, and Troy!

Then one by one that night I saw each of their faces and hugged their necks.

I ended up getting sick on Saturday night and didn’t make it back up to church that night.  This morning I made myself get up and push through the pain because I knew if I made it to church I would get to see my kids again and hopefully even get a picture of us.

And seeing as how we were in the Lord’s house…man did He deliver!

These kids, and some other who weren’t there, make my heart so flippin happy. 

I’ve loved them since they were sophomores in high school.  I’ve cried with them, laughed until I cried with them, had hard conversations with them, prayed with them, watched them make good and not-so-good choices, and watched them grow up.

Austen and I were laughing and reminiscing this morning about the first Chi Alpha I did with them and how they slid through mayonnaise and ate a whole head of lettuce and basically did some of the dumbest things.  And then I stood there and watched him fill out his forms about the boys in his group.  I held back my tears of pride as I watched him. 

When my eyes see one of these special people it makes me smile and scream and do a silly little dance and make me utter the words, “Seeing you makes this my best day!”

I’m so lucky to have been chosen to be their leader for several years and to get to watch firsthand as the Lord molds and shapes them and takes them on the craziest adventures.

Love these more than words!