Why?

today was the nametag day.... the day that we as the registration team sort through all the name tags and put them in the right envelope making sure all are where they are spose to be. as a usual loud and out and about person i walked in ready to talk to people.....but as i sat down to start sorting tags a question from one of my students came back to my mind...."lizzy- why do you go to these conventions- do they really do anything for you?" it wasn't a mean question- it was a question of a student who wanted to know why i would be leaving again for a week after going just a month ago to the "same" convention. we sat and talked about it....talked about for me what it means to be on the vol staff at a convention each year- a chance to give back and hopefully bless someone's life in some way during the week in some small way that i would never know happened.....and in pitts my vol job was so different since i spent the time interpreting...hanging with just a few people the whole time working to make sure they were getting the most and best out of the convention....and then i we talked about why i then feel the need to "come" to one....to "attend".... and i strangly found it hard to find words fitting to explain what it meant to me....i did my best.... and as we ended our conversation he looked at me...smiled....gave me a sweet little hug and said...."well enjoy 'attending'.....may your need be 'attended' and you come back ready to help us 'attend' church and life here." and woosh he was off...
so there i am today sorting tags...and this conversation came to my mind and i suddenly didn't really want to talk to those around me---i wanted to truly read each name on each tag and pray for Jesus to attend to them so they could return to help thier students attend their lives....kinda a sweet time for me today- it was amazing to look at the names of all these amazing men and women who walk the same road i do everyday....to take the quick few moments to lift each one to Jesus....the time here is sweet and amazing- just a great time of embracing and loving and being loved and embraced in return...a time of connecting and learning.....a time of worship and prayer....a time of craziness and laughter.....a time of just being.....a time of filling and preparing- and in the end you leave tired, full, ready, excited, overwhelmed, and unsure.....and you return home to the faces of students you love on every day--- or a student you haven't seen in a while---and it all comes together in this beautiful picture.....and because you feel so full you are so ready to pour it back out......so that was my prayer today- for the names i read and all the names read by the rest of the team- may we all come ready to allow Jesus to attend to us and return ready to help our students learn to attend to their lives by allowing Jesus to attend to their hearts............
Jesus meet us here..........attend to us and us to you!