What a joy to welcome some of our very best friends from Legacy and their massive youth group into our student space here at Central for a quick sleep over on their way to a mission experience with an Indian reservation in Arizona. This was a busy weekend at the weigh station that is Central during the summer. Dozens of church youth groups crash at our place on their way to somewhere pretty. But it’s always special to welcome Legacy.

We stayed up there until midnight last night, getting caught up with everybody’s kids who, surprisingly, are growing up at the same rate as our kids. These tiny children who were in elementary and middle school when we left Legacy six years ago are now in high school and a few of them have graduated and are heading to places like Abilene and Santa Monica for college.

Carley came straight from a late shift at The Big Texan to meet us so she could hug Kate and verify that, yes, Dawson seems to be growing four inches taller every six months. I enjoyed so much showing off our 88-year-old chapel to Stephanie and David, getting the low-down on the basketball gang from Chris, marveling at how much these kids look like their parents, and wondering why we adults haven’t changed at all in the past six years but our children have.

After I made sure they knew how to get to the Donut Stop on Georgia Street and which exit to take to spray paint Cadillac Ranch on the way out of town, we left them blowing up their air mattresses and brushing their teeth. All fifty of them are coming back through Amarillo next Saturday to eat a late lunch at Blue Sky — Ron, that cheeseburger will change your life — and I’ll be there to meet them.

Yes, I’ll use any excuse to eat at Blue Sky. But, much more than that, I love hanging out with these great people. Being with Chris and Lori, Ron and Stephanie, Larry and Deanna, and David and Shanna reminds me of just how blessed I am by our God. They remind me that Legacy believed in me and took a chance on me before I believed in myself. They were so patient with me and kind; they encouraged me and worked with me while I learned and made mistakes. But these couples in particular never ceased to protect me. They had my back. They prayed for me. We worshiped and served together in small groups, we sorted T-shirts together, we set up and tore down Give Away Day together, we brainstormed and prayed together. And spent some really good times together at Texhoma.

God bless the Legacy Church of Christ and these wonderful families we love so much. God be with us til we meet again at that glorious place. Blue Sky next Saturday.

Peace,

Allan