Tranformation
Transformation
The goal created by the Strategic Planning Oversight Committee was big and holy and audacious: By 2013, Laity will create and expand unique, powerful and effective opportunities for the transformation of this and the next generation.
Transformation is a word we used often during our strategic planning process. It means change, alteration, conversion or transfiguration.
Laity Lodge Family Camp is one of those opportunities for transformation. This past weekend, I witnessed numerous examples of transformation of this and the next generation.
One father told me that he had stopped going to church. All he saw was thirty minutes of teaching and preaching. After the weekend at family camp, he said he had experienced the Christian life the way he wanted to live it in his family, work and church.
One mother was struggling in her relationship with her teenage daughter. The mother was trying to live up to her daughter’s expectations that she be the perfect mom. At family camp the mother allowed herself to be imperfect with her daughter, and her daughter forgave her while staying in relationship. They were able to go deeper with one another.
Another father spent time playing and talking with his daughter for the first time in a long time. They did the things she liked to do, and the daughter saw that her father cared for her in a way she had not seen before.
One young couple spent valuable time together while their baby was well taken care of by the staff. This was the first time they had time for one another in a while.
Another mother, while in the midst of a divorce, recognized the power of forgiveness, even if reconciliation may not be possible. The time to hear of God’s forgiveness really helped her.
When the families arrived, there was a sense of stress. They came from a variety of stages in their lives. When they left, a playful peace spoke of the transformation in their lives. Thank you God for continuing to transform our lives in Jesus Christ through your Holy Spirit.