By Tracy Agnew

For me, the Suffolk Summer Slam was sort of bittersweet.

On the one hand, I was blessed to see all of the young people who came out to participate in a day of fun centered on Jesus Christ. Through all of the bands, drama skits, volleyball games, prize giveaways, skateboard exhibitions and more, the central message that emanated from every corner of Bennett’s Creek Park on Saturday was that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and the reason for being for each and every person at the park.

The “bitter” part of the Slam, for me, was that I apparently enjoyed it too much. Despite the fact that I did not take part in the volleyball tournament, the skateboarding or the mosh pit that formed in front of the stage for some bands, the time I spent standing and walking at the park apparently either caused or aggravated an excruciating foot injury.

By the time Sunday night came around, the pain coming from my left foot was enough to keep me awake all night and send me to the emergency room on Monday morning.

According to the kind Dr. Courtney Devlin at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, I have extra bones in my left foot, and I apparently broke one of them. Leave it to me to not only have extra bones, but to ruin them, as well.

Broken foot notwithstanding, the Suffolk Summer Slam was a wonderful event. It was good to see dozens of volunteers from scores of churches throughout Suffolk all pitch in to make it a successful day, and to see young people from around the area come and spend a day doing something uplifting and productive.

Though the Summer Slam had been planned far in advance of recent meetings on how to stem the tide of violence in the city, it is exactly the kind of answer the young people need — something encouraging and positive to get involved in that lifts up the name of Jesus Christ.

Thanks to Impact Suffolk for arranging the event to bless the community. I’m looking forward to next year — but this time, I’ll wear better shoes.