home and known by name

The new year is here.  In fact it's been here for a while.  I have been in Florida and the Bahamas for the last 3 weeks and the triumphant arrival of 2012 was overshadowed by the amount of things that needed to be done in preparation to be gone for that amount of time.

Long story short, I spent a week in Florida taking an intensive seminary class, best I've ever taken actually.  Then I spent a day @ our YL camp in Ocala and then headed off to Orlando for the Young Life All Staff Celebration.  ASC was a relationally intense and exceptionally fun and encouraging week chock full of surprises, fireworks and 4,000 of the most loving people on the planet.  Immediately following ASC, I headed to the Bahamas with 19 friends for some vacation time in the sun.

We flew into Seattle last night @ 9pm.  On our way back north from the airport, I commented to Nick & Stacy, who picked me up, that I was dreading how cold it would be in my house when I got home since my heat was turned down and it was 30 degrees outside.  It was after midnight when I pulled into our driveway and I was blessed immensely when, as I struggled up the stairs with all my stuff (you see I am the queen of trying, at all costs, to get everything into the house in 1 trip...) I discovered that my lights had been turned on and heat turned up by my lovely neighbors.  I was elated to finally be home, in my own space.  I showered the travel day off of me and melted into my own bed where I slept soundly for the next 9 and a half hours.

I awoke this morning groggy and not fully sure of what time zone I was in.  With no food in the house, I ventured out to grab coffee and groceries.  On my way to the store, I called in an order for Thai take-out, my usual: drunken noodle with chicken, 4 stars and brown rice.  I arrived @ Haggen and immediately made my way to the Starbucks inside.  My friend Ron was working-I was happy to see a friendly, familiar face.  He gave me a warm greeting and commented on how he envies my international-traveling lifestyle.  I assured him that though it is lovely, and I am grateful for my life and job, that the best part of traveling for me is returning home.  It felt good to see a friend and to be known by name.

After I gathered my supplies that consisted mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables, I headed to pick up my take-out.  Leslie was working and she pulled out my order as I walked in.  She said, "I knew you were the Jen that called this order in, so I put in some extra spice for you".  When I eat in the restaurant for dinner, I order my drunken noodle with 4 stars of spice and then request the spice rack.  I love spicy food.  I also love that Leslie knew my voice, order and spice preferences-even over the phone.

I drove home, feeling a). jet lagged and b). overwhelmed by the power of being home and known by name.  It made me think of how this is what we all long for-to belong and to be known. 

I have been with my Young Life family for 3 intense weeks and I am reminded that this is what we offer kids, whether we work with them in the field or host them @ camp, we offer them a place where they belong and we learn to know them.  When I first went to Young Life club @ my friend Jenne's house as a sophomore in high school, the thing that amazed me most was that my then soon-to-be-YL-leader remembered my name as I left.  She said it was so great to meet me and that she looked forward to seeing me next week.  She had only met me an hour or so before and as I left she called me by name.  I was known.  I belonged.

There is great power in calling someone by name.  There is great power in being home.  I am full, I am tired, I am home and I am thankful to be known.  Not just by my friends and community, but by my Jesus who calls me to my eternal home with him.  And when he calls me, he calls me by name.

I feel like 2012 is just now beginning for me, now that my big trip is over and I am excited to get to work on the things that I have been dreaming of and scheming over the last few weeks and months.  I have some things to build in the next few months before our camping season begins.  I have teams to build-interns and assignment teams.  And then I have some actual construction to do-a carnival re-build and some Tableau props to create.

There is much to do and many adventures ahead and my hope is that as I go I can create spaces and places where people feel they belong and know they are known.