The Crucible Project Weekend Retreat: A Summary

Wow. Just wow.

A good friend from my men’s group emailed me today to see how things went. He prayed for me, the staff, and the participants this weekend, and wanted to hear how things went. My response was:

I'm in awe at the excellence & commitment I saw by the staff, humbled by the brokenness, excited by the change I saw, inspired by having a front row seat to God working in men's lives, and filled up with love after the whole thing.

The preparation began months ago with staff meetings, prayers, paperwork, and administrative tasks. We arrived on site and spent a day getting ready: preparing the site, praying, rehearsing, ironing out wrinkles in the plan, making sure everyone knew what to do. Leaders repeatedly counseled the staff to remember that this weekend requires God’s presence & direction. They wisely told us of the natural pitfalls, thinking that we as a team might start to believe “we’ve got this”. The truth is we’re the foot solders, who need to listen closely for God’s still, small voice.

All of a sudden, we were off & running with the men showing up on Friday night. By the time the trailer was loaded & I was riding home with a friend, it seemed time had accelerated, only to slow down again until I slid into bed that night. I could have used a little more sleep this morning. J

So what happened? I got to see men on staff work their tails off to make sure the participants got what they came for. To a man, they did. And most of them would tell you the weekend was not what they expected. And yet it was, in a way, what I expected: courageous, emotionally skilled men serving in the army of God, aiding their fellow men. Not for glory, riches, political gain, or social status. We served men because others served us, because we believe we’re called to the work, and because our families realize it is good for us, and them, if we do this.

I had a front row seat while men wrestled with God about important things. I breathed the breath of life with other men, helping them learn things that other men in their lives did not/could not teach them. The tragedy, brokenness, pain, and suffering these men experienced left me broken and humbled. Their courage, faith, strength and gratitude inspired me.

I "got" more than I expected.

In another post, I spoke of what I “got” on my weekend. This weekend I got:

• Gratitude to the leaders for giving me the chance to staff & give back, and affirmation that I did a good job
• Months worth of answered prayer, reminders of God’s power, sovereignty, humor, and love for people—all in a few days.
• A window into my own anger, how toxic it can be for my family, and a vision for how things can really be peaceful in my house
• A powerful tenderness for my wife and three children. Being away from them elevated my sense for how much I love each of them & missed them while I was out of town.
• Increased passion for staffing and sharing the experience with other men I know & care about
• Repeated reminders that this work is pushing against the darkness. Several men on staff had sudden medical emergencies come up over the weekend; one man left the weekend with our tearful blessing to attend to his family emergency. Just as I arrived onsite, one of my best friends called to tell me of his own medical emergency; he had staffed with me just last year and really wanted to join us this time. Several participants also experienced unexpected family crises while on the weekend.