exhausting exhilaration

These last two weeks have been exhilarating, and yes I know that it is now the end of it all but I've just now recovered from such turning events. It was beyond exhausting but well worth what all happened. The weekend before last, both Saturday and Sunday, was the first weekend that art was introduced to my church. Not that it wasn't invited but more unwanted to have control over. "Just another thing to have to take time and plan," I'm sure some were thinking to themselves. I myself am an artist and am a passionate one at that. This, for certain, is one thing that I could be paid to do and be happy for the rest of my life. So at a Creative meeting, that both Bryan and I attend, we were planning for the upcoming weekends and when it came to the weekend where our Pastor would be talking about creativity Bryan happily jumped in with some good ideas. One was that I would be on stage drawing while the Pastor spoke. I couldn't be more excited for this opportunity. So as the weekend came others in the congregation had submitted their artwork to be displayed for the CW and they were amazing. I could not have asked for a better turn-out. I did five drawings and each one was accepted warmly, although some didn't see the whole picture those who did loved it and helped those who didn't eventually come to see it as well.
As for this last weekend it was merely an overnight Christ In Youth for our Junior High. But after it all I couldn't have been more exhausted from their enthusiasm but in the same more touched by them. I really wouldn't even know where to start but I can say this: although the adults complained that there wasn't any drama and they thought things were better last year the kids took so much more from CIY this year than the year before. Yes, there wasn't any drama but at the same time there was. The CIY crew opened up to the kids by showing them through a backstage camera the real drama in their own lives. I think that touched the kids more than the adults had realized. And then when we went to our own group time the kids opened up to us expressing what was happening in their own lives. There were things from how their parents divorce was killing them inside because they feel alone to their friends and parent(s) telling them that it was pointless to believe what they believe. I am amazed at how strong these kids are because it's been a long time since I was in Jr. High and I know that they have real problems it's just a matter of getting them to open up so that we can do what we can to let them know we have their backs. But not only did the kids take something from this event I believe that the adults did as well. As a matter of fact I know they did. And I think that our own expressions of how CIY had touched us let the kids know that adults have issues as well.. we aren't perfect nor are our lives and that they aren't alone in what they are going through.