B1G A1

Today is a special day for us here at Kadesh. Today we are celebrating a birthday, but in a different way than may you may expect. Alex was a camper and staff at Kadesh, and one that continues to have an incredible impact on the culture here.

This past fall Alex passed away, and many of our staff miss her greatly, so today, as it is her 19th birthday, we’re celebrating her.

I had never met her, but as people have shared her stories, I have been overwhelmed by the big impact a single life can have on so many others. Her fun spirit, her desire to see others included, and her love, has impacted those who know her personally, and those who know her only through stories.

This morning I read Psalm 139:14, and this is what the writer says to God, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous - how well I know it.”

In the stories I have heard, I think Alex knew how wonderfully complex God had made her. How her goofiness could light up a room, and how her love for others would make a real difference.

So today, I hope that you are encouraged. That like Alex, you have been made wonderfully complex. Know, that when you embrace how wonderfully complex God has made you, like her, you can make an incredible impact on the world around you.

- Jon