I walked out into the night late this evening, as I have done almost every night since my return to Texas and have been happily reminded of all of the late nights I've spent under the Texan sky.
Late nights spent...
Laying on our backs in the horseshoe of the dorms watching the stars. It would start with 2 or 3 and end up with a whole crowd of people lined on the sidewalk on their backs watching the stars. Interns passing by on their way back to their rooms. It was like we were invisible in the dark night. Invisible of time - the busy busy time packed days of TM - we escaped in the night. We lived all night long like there was no limit, because the day had so many appointments. So we lived at night and we didn't sleep.
Tucking our little interns into bed when we were Core Advisors and running out into the night, because it was the only time we could be 'un-leaders.' Running into the night and releasing as much kid as possible. Climbing on top of all kinds of things on campus, jumping into lakes with all of our clothes on, and throwing dance parties in any random place. The CA's had the most fun of their lives because they needed to! And they lived all night too... later than the interns because they need it that much more.
Walking out of the SAC after long days of training missionaries getting ready to storm the mission field. Exhausted from teaching drama all day in the blazing sun, we worked until midnight until the drama was 'just right' and then met with our project directors afterwards, but walking down those sidewalks for the bazillionth time feeling the most refreshing feeling in the world of getting to influence young souls on fire for God.
Stepping out of the Auditorium with 300 of our fellow interns in silence after a fiery, spirit-filled message from Blaise on the 3rd night of the fasting retreat.... looking up at the starry sky and thinking about encountering God. Thinking about the revelations we just got of Him and how much more we want to DIVE in and know more about this Man. Some of us would find places in the darkness to ponder on our revelations - one by the prayer tree, another on the bench by the front pond, another in the Gazebo, another walking around the loop for hours and hours into the night.
These are the scents and smells and feelings that the warmth of a Texas Night awakens in me.
It is a world of memory and recollections of the 4 years spent at Teen Mania and the journey it took me on to adulthood.
I'm so glad to be here.
