how was your year? reflections on Spring Harvest.

Hi! Long time no speak.
Last time I posted it was the start of holy week, since then I've been really busy at home, then went to a wedding, an Easter morning service in Brum and then off to Spring Harvest (Boing Harvest).

Its very strange now being home, I've spent a week clicking in wristbands, opening doors, moving chairs, having late night chats with my cousin, cleaning my hands, answering the question "how was your year?", doing paper work, listening to stories, being attacked by a seagull who stole my ice cream (well that only happened once) and making some new friends - or getting to know people better. I'm now back home, with no clicker, no chair moves and only my own diary telling me what to do.

It was a brill week and I could talk about so many things, how to bring kids up through Church, addiction, the Holy Spirit, the youth venue, first aid incidents, or how I've just found my tea ticket from day 3 which means I handed in my breakfast one at tea time. But what I think I want to talk about is friendship.

I go to many events and conferences over the year but there is nothing like being on the stewarding team at spring harvest. There was almost 60 stewards this year, and we are put in teams of 3 by venue. This is my 4th year stewarding and every other year its been GK, me and a newbie - who has never returned, only realised that this year we must be a curse! Anyway this year it was different the 3rd steward on the team wasn't a newbie and he is determinded to return next year so we shall see. We pretty much spend all day in our 3s, and as we are the only team on the distinctive 11-14s venue there isn't anyone else we were with regularly. We talked about the usual things, how to move chairs and get them lined up straight, opinions on communion, baptism, gay marriage, how many people we all know in the outside world - little bit scary. Those 2 guys were the people I spent more hours with than anyone else - well awake at least, we ate together, had in jokes and looked after one another - so much so I was called mum for some of the time - though not like when a lady was talking about how children should be brought up and asked if I had kids, everyone else I met assumed I was a student!

My favourite definition of God as Trinity is God in Community, in the same way we are made to be in community with one another. That is why we strive to find a partner, and friends. Stewarding is a difficult thing, we are challenged to get out of our comfort zone, deal with so many things all in one go, stay awake and be the people everyone turns to in an emergency, or when they are hungry.

I really like Chapman's 5 love languages, think I've mentioned them before, and I don't just mean boyfriend/girlfriend love, but friendship love. The 5 langages are: acts of service, quality time, gifts, touch and words. If you know me at all you'll know I'm a hugger, touch is my primary language. One reason I think stewards get on so well is that we are showing many of these love langages all the time to the guests and to each other. Hugs, words of encouragement, buying drinks and gifts, making drinks, carrying an extra chair, the in jokes and all the time we spent together.

For the next few days we'll keep in close contact, then I think we'll probably stop writing all over each others walls on facebook, we'll occasionally check out what each other are up to, send birthday messages but generally not be so close. Its very difficult to keep the level of friendship going. Last year I tried and for some reason scared my (so called) friend off. Not that I want to lose contact with these people, I just think it might happen, but it doesn't worry me - as next year anyone who is back will be back and we'll start all over again firstly with the question how was your year? Then build on from this year as if it wasn't 51 weeks earlier.

So here I am back at home, no wristbands, no clicker, no hand gel, back to normal life - whatever that is, but greatly enriched by the friendships that got me through the last week. So to all of you, thank you and see you next year!