“I may not be in awe yet, but today I will get up with fresh strength and run, walk, and soar like an eagle.”
We had the best time with our 7th and 8th grade friends at Hopetown this week! We kicked off the week watching a movie most of us had never seen: Eddie the Eagle. Based on a true story, Eddie had spent his whole life dreaming of competing in the Olympics. Everyone he met said he couldn’t do it, but he proved them wrong.
Eddie came in last place, but he celebrated as if he had won the gold! We learned from Eddie that we have to let go of being the best and learn to be our best. Life is not about competing with others. It is our race to run!
You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.
I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No lazy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.
- 1 Corinthian 9:24-27
When we asked the campers what ways they wanted to be like Eddie, this is what they said:
Brave
Not afraid of failure
Determined
Good mindset
Not focused on the negative
Confident in what I believe in
Willing to apologize
Eddie found joy in other’s success which is hard to do! Eddie encouraged all of us to be like an eagle. Eagles have amazing eyesight and are able to see the big picture. Eagles remind us to look up! Eagles don’t fight back; they soar above.
As the week went on, the middle schoolers were able to give out beads to one another, encouraging them in what qualities they saw in one another. The beads were:
JOYFUL - Romans 12:12
PATIENT - Romans 12:12
HUMBLE & GENTLE - Ephesians 4:2
KIND & COMPASSIONATE - Ephesian 4:32
FORGIVING - Ephesians 4:32
STRONG & COURAGEOUS - Joshua 1:9
QUICK TO LISTEN - James 1:19
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “GOD has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? GOD doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He's the Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, and gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.
-Isaiah 40:27-31
By trusting in God, we receive fresh strength to help us soar like eagles. Eagles have amazing eye sight; they’re able to see the big picture and the details. We look down so often, but throughout the week we encouraged kids to have an eagle eye and look up!
We have a sense of awe when we look up. Let us be in awe.
Each day we focused on a new word, and a word we all really felt connected to is, “yet.” Yet gives us hope amidst the pain and allows the pain to not consume us. In our pain we can experience God’s love in a deeper way. Yet keeps us looking up!
Sometimes we sing of His promises when we haven’t yet experienced them.
We asked the kids what gives them hope and this what they said:
When someone shares their struggles.
When someone relates to me.
When people respond to what I’ve said.
Knowing this group has my back.
When someone acknowledges the pain.
We were able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas together too! Throughout Thanksgiving we got to connect further with each other and share our struggles and what we’re grateful for.
Then, Christmas came! Each kid and intern got the name of someone and was given three dollars. We went antique shopping and everyone found a gift for their secret Santa that reminded them of that person.
It was so moving to see what gift was selected for each person. We had such a sweet time celebrating our Risen Savior and each other!
Melissa wrapped up the week with this phrase,
“I may not be in awe yet, but today I will get up with fresh strength and run, walk, and soar like an eagle.”
We are excited to see how our middle school friends soar like eagles with fresh strength throughout the year, searching for awe and yet in their stories.
