Nothing Beats a One-on-One (or two) Done Well

I went out to lunch three times today.

The first one was with an amazing group of friends that I do lunch with every Thursday. I absolutely love it and the conversation - we talk about the Bible, life, struggles and ministry, in addition to venturing down 100 rabbit trails each week. Today, we talk about how some friendships are seasonal, you have them for awhile and then you move your separate ways. You're still friends, but the calls and gatherings become less frequent. There is nothing wrong with that at all, it's called life. However, I love the few that you do life with - no matter how chaotic, messy or beautiful life has been. It's both refreshing and necessary.

The second one was a one-on-two with a former Oasis student. When she got into high school she made some classic mistakes. We lost touch for awhile, but now she's back. She's making better choices. It was a great time. Her son, Trenton, is adorable. I hope she gets back into church for his sake and hers. She's an amazing young lady.

The third one was a one-on-two with a current Oasis student. She's a 13 year old who writes and speaks like someone twice her age. I was worried about her because of something I read, but didn't really know her that well. Before I talked with her mom, I wanted to get a feel if it was a "bad day" kind of thing or something more serious. So, I asked her and her Eagle's Nest (breakout group) leader to join me for a Coke. I knew having her Eagle's Nest leader there would make the both of us feel more comfortable . . . and I was so right. Turns out after about an hour, I found this young lady to be bright, fun and totally amazing. We talked and everything is good. I told her I had to tell her mom about what I read, because if I was a mom, I'd want to know. At that point, I could have gotten any reaction. But, like I said, she's amazing and was ok with it. Turns out, she has one amazing mom and a pretty cool little brother too.