Stretch – Night One Reflection

Last night was the first night of Stretch, and it was incredible! I truly had a blast interacting with the 200+ middle school students who came to the first night, the large number of volunteers that helped pull this thing off, and the parents who arrived to pick up their students. I also enjoyed participating in the games along with the kids – especially on the hoops court. One game station that I didn’t try yet is what I like to call the Puke Machine II (see my previous post from last year) – I think it might be called the tumbler. The challenge is out there…. If Jeff Whitebread can get Bob Lewis and Sean Healy to go on it, then I’ll go on it with them and Jeff.

At any rate, I especially enjoyed the chance to sit in on most of the program that took place in the middle of the night. It kicked off with Chosen, a great hip hop team. And it ended with a great message by Travis Crim. Travis Crim used Psalm 139 to talk about how God knows everything about us. Here’s the passage he used:

1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

I’m excited (while exhausted) to see how things will go tonight.

Until the next post, I’ll be stretching some more…