The past two months here at Tahoe Church have been some of the most influential in my entire life. And as much as I wish I could put it into words adequately enough to do the experience justice in this reflection, I couldn’t. Although, I will try.
There are two reasons why I initially decided I wanted to spend my summer at Tahoe Church. I wanted to feel like I am making some kind of difference in the world, even without a degree in my hands, and remind myself of the true reason why I am putting myself through the stress that college brings. I want to help people; that is my purpose, my passion, and my reason. I want to do my best to make others’ lives better, even if in a small way. But sometimes that can be forgotten through the whirlwind of college life. I’m pretty sure that through the hustle and bustle of college life during the past two years, maybe even more than that, I entirely forgot how to be present in the moment. I was consistently stressed out by anything and everything that was happening around me, which was always too much for a single person to have to carry on their own. I was not living my life the way I should have been, or the way God would have wanted me to be, for that matter. I always felt behind, so I never gave myself the permission to slow down, unless I completely burnt out and was forced to. Here, I’ve truly been learning that In order to truly live life in God’s loving embrace, we can’t live life in a constant rush. We need to slow down and take care of our relationship with him, especially if we want to do any good for the world around us. He calls us to live unlike the world around us, which is exactly the point I have been missing. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” This is the way each and every person deserves to live, and sadly, I don’t feel like many college students feel free enough to. It is looked at and perceived as a luxury for many when it is truly a necessity.
As summer residents, we are challenged, but always met with grace and love for our shortcomings as we learn. During the first week of the program, all of us residents were told that the goal of the summer was not for us to feel overworked or overwhelmed. It was to strengthen us and rejuvenate us for wherever we go after. I truly see this goal reflected in the way we are treated and poured into by the leaders here. We were told that the aim was for us to feel “properly ‘whelmed.’” We have plenty of one-on-one time available if we ever have something specific to talk about, and our hard questions are always encouraged with open arms and greeted with thoughtful responses from the heart. We spend time in nature, without technology, and in the quiet of slowing down and spending time with God, other residents, or the community here, and it challenges absolutely everything I have been accustomed to.
One trip we have taken during this program is San Francisco. We volunteered with City Impact and put food together for the homeless, served them, had conversation with them, and asked to pray for them. I don’t think any experience has challenged me so much in my entire life. When people ask me what I am the most proud of myself for, it is the conversations I had with the people I had these encounters with from the Tenderloin. It was the conversation I had with a man named Jamal about God and it was the moment I asked someone if I could pray for them. I had never asked a complete stranger if I could pray for them before. I had asked friends or family, but it is a whole different kind of challenge when you have no idea who the person is, but you just know they need the prayer. The holy spirit was everywhere during that trip and working in each of us, because we had all asked it to be there. It was in the prayers I heard Chelsea pray for the homeless after listening to their life story. It was in the moments Max knew exactly what to say when someone said something that rendered everyone else speechless. It was when I saw Lauren as she knew exactly how to bring the bible into a conversation she was having.
Everything I’ve seen in this program and Tahoe Church goes completely against the grain of the world. Whether we are planning for a kids camp, hosting a youth group, singing worship songs together under the stars, or volunteering to put food on plates for the homeless, we are spending quality time with others and being taught the value of what making the most of our present moment actually means. We are treated with so much love and care that it can’t help but want to pour and burst out of us. I have found a second home here. This summer has been reminding me of my purpose in life and has given me so much clarity for what I want to take into my future, and what I want to leave behind in my past.