You think you know them...

...and then they do something that totally surprises you. Parents, that is.

Y'see, my parents are still not so comfortable with my whole 'thing' with Christianity. It freaks them out a little (especially my dad, who thought he was raising his kids to be good little skeptics, and suddenly hey presto! we're both regular churchgoers). So it was with a sense of trepidation that I wrote this in my last email:

"Also, I've been thinking recently about going to the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) from Dec. 27 to Jan. 1. This annual event is put on by Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship (the parent organization for QCF) and while it can be held anywhere in the country, is taking place this year up at Pioneer Camp (where I used to go for high school band camp). While the cost is a little worrisome (about $450), it isn't much for a five day event, and I'm looking into getting some funding (about half the cost)through money QCF puts aside for this sort of thing. This is kind of a strange thing, for me to be wanting to go to a Christian leadership conference -- but I find more and more that I'm really interested in what it means toexplore faith, and people keep telling me that I have a gift for public speaking and interpreting tricky biblical passages."

I wrote this, kind of expecting that they'd say "That's so silly -- why would you want to spend five days with Jesus freaks, spending money you can ill afford to spend? Also, don't you want to spend time with us??"

At least, that was what I expected. Instead, this is the response I got:

"As for the conference, Daddy and I both think it sounds like a good
opportunity for you and you have our full support to attend. I know you
would like to be with us over the holiday but we will have ten days
together."

Bento's Brain: Guh? Parents ... not mad? Bluh?
[I have a really bad habit of underestimating my parents. This is just another incident in a long line of my 21-year old brain going "I'm much smarter and more enlightened than they are!" Wrong.]

So now I'm more confused than ever. This desire to go to NSLC is bizarre and irrational (why would I want to spend five days in the cold wilderness with Jesus freaks?), but it remains nonetheless. And my parents support me in it.

This means two things:
1) they really do love me
2) they will support my strange Christian adventures, even if they don't understand them.

That's comforting, actually, because I don't think I understand it either.