Why I'm blogging at 2:14 AM on a Saturday morning instead of sleeping

So I'm smack dab in the middle of this year's Underground Overnight. The kids are asleep (or at least quiet enough that I don't need to go yell at them to get some sleep) and logically I should be, too. But I'm not. I guess this is insight into me as a Youth Ministry Director: I can't sleep at church overnights... ever.

At a lock-in, that's a given. With high school youth running around the church, I know that I'm responsible for making sure that they stay safe, out of trouble and follow rules. If they're awake, I'm awake. But an overnight is different in my head.

I keep correcting people when they call this a lock-in. Lock-in implies no sleep and this is an overnight because we're sleeping overnight at the church. They're sleeping. Sleep is on the schedule. I don't have the strength to stay awake all night programming this age group at the level they'd need to be programmed to stay out of trouble. True.

So if they're asleep, how come I'm not?

Adrenaline. I get so wired on the adrenaline of running something like this. No way could it be done without the help of volunteers (thank you Connie, Eric and Lori) but being the point person is just wide awake, crazy, anticipating problems, trying to fix problems. trying to calm down kids that are getting wild, evaluating the schedule, tweaking the schedule, making mental notes of what doesn't work, trying to remember what does work, thinking about things that I still need to get done sometime this week....

I guess the brain kicks in and this is unwinding time. It takes a few hours and once I'm unwound, it will be close enough to breakfast making time that I'll have to get up and start everything all over.

So here's blog from the middle of an all nighter. I think it's going well. The kids seem to be having fun. There haven't been any serious injuries (although when the clock fell off the wall and hit Jacob on the head, I was afraid it might be an omen.) We haven't broken anything (though to be fair, there are still six hours and a few minutes left... still time to break stuff.)I hope you are all resting peacefully and I'll catch some zzzzz's tomorrow.

Happy Overnight Night.