No sleep for the weary

On Friday Joe called to tell me we were asked to chaperone a youth lock-in (of sorts). Apparently, every year our high school kids have a "camp" during the school year. It's a Wednesday-Saturday, they sleep at the building, do campish activities, etc. and still do homework and go to school. They just come back and forth from the church instead of home. (Odd, right?)Well, that's what we were asked to help with...to stay one night, overnight.

I initially said no, I mean, how much would work suck the next day? Yeah...REAL bad! After a 3rd call asking us to come, I reconsidered. I've missed NO days of school in 12 weeks. I can take one personal day if they need us that badly. Could be fun. I'm always up for revisiting my youth group days. So at 6:00 we showed up at the church last night. We ate dinner with the kids, got the schedule run-down and the "Talk" from the youth minister on our duties. No prob. Oh wait...there are teens involved...of course there's a problem!

I am not exaggerating when I say we did nothing. NOTHING. We were supposed to have a devo talk, worship time, and study time in the word, PLUS a short devo this morning before the kiddos headed to school. NOPE. None of the above. There was homework overload, teenage girl drama/boy manipulation, tears...need I go on??? Jonathon (the minister) assured us this has NEVER happened before and they actually do have "Spiritual Stuff" at camp. It was craziness. Then...it was so cold in the room I was sleeping, I couldn't go to sleep! Those of you who have lived with me know...I fall asleep as soon as I lay down. Not the case this time. It was FREEZING! Joe said he woke up and his teeth were chattering. So I put on a sweater and tried to sleep. Didn't work out so well. A very choppy night's rest. So this morning I also got left with 3 boys and 1 girl while the youth minister delivered others to school (as his wife and my husband had already left for their jobs.)So I held down the church by my lonesome and locked up at 7:40. Now I'm home, wondering why I agreed to do this strange task, and excited to have an empty day ahead of me.