Sweet Sweet Whispers

This morning I woke up earlier than normal and joined Jordan, the newest addition to the Desert Mountain Young Life team, and about 15 other high schoolers at the flagpole for "See You at the Pole." From an outsider looking in, Jordan and I just look like creepy adults hanging out with high schoolers before school. When I started leading Young Life 7 years ago, I had to quickly get over the awkwardness of what it must look like from afar when I am with teenagers on their turf. We met, prayed, and were encouraged as believers. It was a sweet start to the day. As I was weaving my way out of the crazy traffic that consumed the perimeters of the school, trying not to be incredibly frustrated with high school drivers, I heard another whisper. These three words are something the Lord has been whispering to me regularly the past four months. "You are blessed."

When I arrived to my mom's house on my birthday to see dozens of friends screaming "Surprise!"..."You are Blessed."
When I was laughing so hard, I was crying in a cabin full of girls at Frontier in June... "You are blessed."
When I worshipping the Lord on an Italian beach as the sun was setting with 400 "Army brats"..."You are blessed."
When I holding the hands of snotty nosed Ugandan children as they were singing "marching in the Light of God"..."You are blessed."
When I was standing in the very same spot where I gave my life to Christ ten years earlier with my WyldLife leader by my side..."You are blessed."
When I saw my perfect little niece, Stella, take her first steps at just nine short months..."You are blessed."

The hard part is that these four words were accomanied by a few other words that have made these past four months so hard.