Hollowness and Victory

I've had this post in mind for a long time, but haven't really had time to post it.

Our church has had some awesome news lately. Last Wed. my youth group had 27 kids....the most ever. It was awesome. We had a water night and played with water balloons and did some squirt gunning. Then in church that Sunday before we had 247 people! If we make our goal of 300 by Christmas the church will have doubled since Em and I came down here! How cool is that! Or is it?

Sometimes the numbers game just seems so hollow. I know it's cool, but unless we really are changing the youth and adults that are coming, do the numbers really matter? The victory just seems hollow.

And then yesterday I had another 27 youth come! It was our regular youth night and even though the numbers were there, if there had been one other person in that room, I think it was a true victory. I felt a power in the Spirit that I had never attained before. I imagine it was like going from the minors to the big leagues and finally reaching that level of, "Oh, I can play at this level!" It was an exciting night for me! My hope is - even though I was "feeling it" - that the Spirit was moving in the hearts of the youth. It was very encouraging!