the power of the women's washroom.

i have been a youth leader at my church for 7 years now. that is a lot of years, given that i wasn't even sure that i liked teenagers when i started.

wednesday i had one of the hardest and best youth nights of those 7 years. i have been drained and tired and frustrated. i was in and out of the activities of the night because i couldn't stop crying. i ended up finding two of my girls in the downstairs women's washroom talking. i joined them. they asked me how i was and i couldn't answer. they asked me if i wanted a hug, and i nodded and then just cried.

what an experience, having two people that you take pride (too much often) in giving advice to and listening to become the ones comforting you.

the rest of my small group (5 girls that night in total) ended up joining us in the bathroom. there, we sat and talked for a full hour. one by one we shared, most of us cried. it was a holy moment to me. there was honesty and openness. it was VERY humbling for me to let them see me like that. but i do not want them to like me for the me that's totally fine all the time. in return for my trust, they gave me back love and affirmation.

i love being a youth leader. it is something that challenges me, energizes me, drains me and it has a lot of my heart in it. all of that is good.