Coming to breakfast that morning was quite different than most on that beautiful mountain top. I was planning on skipping that day but one of my teammates walked in yelling “the boys made us breakfast!” I reluctantly got out of bed, barely could open my eyes, and sleepily walked down the hill towards the kitchen. I rounded the corner into what looked like a cloud because of all the fog, heard Frank Sinatra playing and saw the picnic tables set up. Until this point, we had always eaten meals around the fire pit, on the rocks, or on the “dining room” floor. I felt as though I had stepped into a dream as I watched the nine men hustle around wearing aprons that were actually towels and taking food and drink orders from 45 women at 7:30am. Instant joy filled my spirit and I couldn’t help but smile. It was impossible not to notice how much fun the guys were having. I honestly had to ask myself if this was indeed a dream. Eric came to our table and asked, “Ladies, are we interested in coffee or tea this morning?” Obvious yes. What came next was the most incredible surprise. Real pancakes (flapjacks) with strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and syrup. Like what?! It was the most delicious breakfast imaginable. All the girls were giggling and enjoying a beautiful time of fellowship together. As the meal came to an end, we were given strict instructions by the men to stay away from the kitchen for the duration of the day.
The day carried on as normal and we all set off to our different ministry sites. The morning was spent with anticipation of what the next meal would bring. After a fun- filled couple of hours throwing dirt in large trenches on the road, we headed back home. The Peter, Boaz, and Jesus (PB&J) Food Truck had pulled in to serve glorious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fruit out the window. And you can’t forget the personalized note. Jarred wrote mine. I won’t share the whole thing but he wrote “your love doesn’t go unseen, even in your gentle nature. Our Father in heaven has crafted you with love to be the way you are. He loves you in totality; with all of His being He loves you.” I could not stop smiling.
As you can imagine, we were all pretty stoked for dinner. We all decided that afternoon that we were going to dress to the nines that evening.
It felt like Prom 2015 that evening in the girl’s house. We all spent an adequate amount of time swapping our nicest outfits, fixing our hair, and doing our makeup. Lots of photos were taken and there was an overwhelming sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. As the dinner hour drew near, we headed down to our lantern lit picnic tables where we were promptly greeted by our elegantly dressed waiters. Eagerly awaiting our arrival, they were all in jeans, flannels and their “aprons” to complete the look. Naturally, our dinner started with Jace’s homemade hot chocolate and a starter salad. Our dinner consisted of herbed chicken, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. And what would a meal be without a delectable chocolate mousse cake for dessert?! Naturally the girls spent the whole meal laughing, taking photos, and simply being in the presence of God and one another. It was beautiful.
As the wonderful evening began to come to a close, we all gathered around the fire pit for a time of worship together. It was a joyous and unifying noise rising up to the heavens. It seems that we now all had a better understanding of what it means to be truly romanced by Christ. With my eyes closed and my hands raised, I felt a tap on my arm. I opened my eyes to see Jarred standing in front of me with an outstretched hand. I was beyond confused as I saw several other girls being led into the kitchen by the same men that wrote our note. We walked up the stairs, rounded the corner, and that is when streams of tears fell from my face. Chairs were lined down the room with a bucket filled with water at the foot of each one. Yes, that is when Jarred humbled himself as Christ did and washed my feet. Tears continued rolling down my cheeks as I stared in disbelief at the sight before my eyes. As he finished, I stood up, received not one but two giant bear hugs and walked back outside to join worship. I was still crying at this point. That moment in time is one that I will never be able to forget. Kyle ended worship by thanking us for allowing them the privilege to serve and honor us as Christ does. Jesus loved the church—his bride— selflessly. He pursued the church, he fought for the church, and he served the church. The way that Jesus loved the church is the way that our guys loved us.
