By Eliot, Outreach Worker in Willowtree
Having worked at TCM for quite some time, I've had many instances to reflect and share about the growth in relationships with the kids, as well as stories of kids experiencing God's love. This will forever be happening at Willowtree because God never ceases to work. This is an exciting thought, but there's this lingering selfish desire that I possess which is to see all the kids grow up and take the faith while experiencing the joys of life. It's a tough inclination to have because it is all really about God's timing and not mine.
The reason why I share this thought is because a few of our staff at TCM recently attended a workshop "Work as Worship", hosted by Right Now Media. There were many great topics of discussion, but the one question that stood out was this - can you stay dedicated to planting seeds with the possibility of never seeing it grow? As I reflected on the many different roles at TCM, they all require different amounts of time spent with the kids. We have summer interns who spend 7 weeks at camp with the kids, we have mission teams who come and serve for one week, we have staff who are here for years. With all these different time frames, some will be able plant seeds and watch them grow, many will not. In thinking all these things, I believe that it comes down to faith because God is the almighty and powerful one, not us. God is the one who changes hearts and lives, not us. God is the one who is able to time things perfectly according to His will, not us.
Therefore in taking up our faith and our calling to serve, I am encouraged and humbled to walk alongside each of the individuals involved at TCM (communities, children, volunteers, partners, sparks), building relationships and living out the faith together. Praise God.