How I survived Worship X Change

Worship X Change is a worship conference that our school hosted this past week for other Christian schools.  It began as a thought among a small group of music teachers at a conference 18 months ago.  Our association director suggested we carry it out at our school with our teachers, alumni and students, and this week that's what we did.  I spearheaded the organization with a team that kept it on the rails.

By all accounts it was a success.  The general sessions ran well, with great response from the kids, everything happened pretty much as planned, and the exit surveys were overwhelmingly positive.  It was all cleaned up in less than 2 hours, and the planning staff went out to dinner to celebrate.  Lives were impacted, God was honoured, and good seeds were planted.  As an added bonus, we broke even on the budget!

I realize today that I should be feeling euphoric, elated, satisfied, fulfilled - something, anything.... We had a vision, dreamed a dream, started a challenge, and came across the finish line with flying colours.  But I feel almost nothing, outside of being dismayed at what a mess my house is after days of neglect.

I don't think in all the preparation that I took time to picture what success would look like.  I didn't imagine how it would feel, what the impact could be.  My own part in the actual event was more like this:  tracking down the lost photocopy, looking for a tablecloth, pounding out documents at the last minute, realizing what I forgot to put on a list, spending money last minute that I didn't anticipate - like that.  By the time it was over, my feet and knees were killing me, and I could barely speak a coherent thought.

Today I rested, went to breakfast with my kids, had a nap, read a book, saw a movie.  I sat down with the exit surveys and read how kids felt they had grown closer to God, learned a new guitar technique, met some new friends, bonded with their worship band, understood the Bible in a whole new way - wow, wow, wow.

On Tuesday, we are having an Open House at school that I have also spearheaded, so I think I'm going to take some time tomorrow to anticipate the success, imagine how it will feel to meet the goals we have set, to try to see what God sees, to appreciate how the little things I do on Tuesday impact people for a lifetime, and prepare to celebrate down to my toes when it is all over.  If being in the development end of the school is part of The 60 Project for me, it needs to be something that strengthens me emotionally and spiritually - something more than just a pile of To Do Today lists that I pitch in the trash at the end of the day.

Excuse while I snuggle up with a good book......