Youth Group Trip

This a.m. I had to get Rob to our church for 9 a.m.  Church is 30 minutes from our house so I had everything packed last night as normally the commute is easy but was more challenging this a.m. dealing with the regular work commuters.  His youth group and 3 other church youth groups banded together to head to a part of coastal Maine that is very economically challenged. They will live, work, and play at a shelter that provides many many necessities of life to folk who need it most.  He has been looking forward to this--looking forward to the work.  Looking forward to the time with lots of friends, and looking forward to the 48 butterscotch graham cookies that I made last night so he and his friends would not "starve" on the way up. It is a long drive; I knew that they would need "sustenance."  Ironically, another blogger wrote the other day about her daughter reaching out for help.  Rob has gotten much better in that regard, letting me know when he is ill or in need of me without my having to proffer the help first.  The one area where he can not is around food. He.can.not.ask.for.food.  He can put what he wants in the grocery cart but other than that, if I had not offered his cookies for the road, he would not have been able to bring himself to ask.  I understand the why of this, but I live for the day he does.

But this is mostly about the joy that I feel for him.  One of the Youth Group moms came up and told me that her daughter was at camp with Rob this summer and came home talking about how "cool" he was and how funny he was and how he was great to hang out with. (of course the gender is not lost on me folks!)  But the mom said ROB?  Rob from y outh group?  She said she had worked with the youth group for 2 years and never heard more than 2 words from him.

But Rob is finding his voice and daring to share more and more of himself with the wider world.  Opening up to reveal the creative, funny and caring man he is to a world who needs his gifts.  I am so glad for that.  (though the littles are mightily missing big bro all ready!)