Saturday, October 31, 2009
We have finally made it to the last of the Campers, Chickens, and Hot Air Balloons series! It only took, like, 6 months? Oh, but when I read this story, I realize how well worth the wait was! I decided to write about this last week in a post by itself because something amazing happened in this last week that distinguished it from all the other weeks: we got to see God work.
I said in the previous post that I had finally surrendered to God my work. By doing this I gave Him the opportunity to work. I was no longer the one planning what to do or what to say. I no longer had any control over what was happening. (I didn't have any control before, but I guess I wanted to think that I did.) That was where I was at spiritually when this week started, and I only wish it hadn't taken me six weeks to get there.
Being girl's week, and being that we had about 30 girls between the four of us female counselors, we took advantage of the space we had and took over the cabins the boys had been using the weeks before. I was given my own cabin at the other end of the camp site (I was working with another counselor before) and a group of seven girls. Like I said before, each night we were in charge of leading cabin devotions before bed. Being resigned to God's will, not my own plans, I cannot tell you what we talked about each night. I did teach a devotion, I promise, but I could not tell you what any of the devotions were about. I do remember, however, the numerous questions I recieved after each topic was discussed: questions about creation and the validity of the Bible, about angels and God and baptism and salvation. I recieved queston after question after question, and I could not believe the way God was working in the hearts of these girls who desired nothing more than to know the truth. Some of these questions were harder to answer than others, but I tried my best to give the best answers I could. In the end, though, the only answer I really knew was Jesus Christ, so that's what I shared with them.
Each night I was able to share the gospel with my girls and talk about the great love that it took for God to make such a sacrifice. Weeks before, I had planned to give a presentation of the gospel on Wednesday nights (because the gospel is always presented on the 4th night of VBS and stuff), but this week was like a week long explanation of God's love and sacrifice for a relationship with us. Wednesday night came around, and the same thing happened in our cabin that had been happening all week long: questions. And, like every night before, I was able to share the gospel with my girls. This night, however, we were able to have a discussion about what it all meant afterward. We talked about the pain Jesus went through, both physically and spiritually. We talked about how much God loved us, even before we existed. These girls were shocked! Why would God do such a thing for me? Listening to their amazement made me realize the truly amazing thing that God did for me! One girl, after several had made a trip to the bathroom, asked me, "If this is true, then why aren't more people out there telling people about it?" My heart rose and sank at the same time. I was so proud of this girl for realizing the importance of such a decision, but I also realized the weight and depth of such a statement. She was right. Why aren't we taking the message of Jesus more seriously? Why aren't we sharing it more? Why don't we care like we should? This thought has stayed close to my heart ever since that night.
The next morning, as the girls got ready for breakfast, I lay on my bed marveling at how far God had taken us to this last full day of camp. I looked up to see one girl sitting on her bed READING HER BIBLE! I have never smiled so big in my life! I thanked God for the work He was able to do through me when I stepped to the side. God was not done working that day, however.
The whole week we had been preparing a few songs to sing and scriptures to read for our trip to the nursing home the last day. When we finally made it onto the bus to go to the nursing home, everyone was so excited (and loud)! This mood continued as we walked through the different sections of the home, singing "Jesus Loves Me" and "How Great is Our God," yet as time went by, the mood began to change. While we were singing to one elderly gentleman who was sitting in his wheelchair without his teeth in, I looked up to see one girl crying. Soon, another girl joined her, then another one, and another one... but the time we got back on the bus to leave, over half of the girls who were so full of laughter and excitement when we arrived at the nursing home we now silent with soggy faces. We decided that, instead of continuing with the plans we had made, we would move into a time of reflection and devotion when we arrived back at the camp.
We gathered all of the girls in the multipurpose room to talk about what they were going through. Many of them were greiving the loss of loved ones who had spent the last parts of their time in the nursing home. Others were just humbled and broken. One of the other counselors gave a gospel presentation. Then we broke the girls up into groups and prayed with them. I had the privilege of meeting and praying with seven girls. I asked them what God had been doing in their lives that week, and one girl (one in my cabin who had heard an unplanned gospel presentation every night; the one who I had seen reading her Bible that very morning) rose her hand to say that she did not have a relationship with God, but that she wanted to know how to. Wow. In that moment, I was so humbled. We had been restless to see God work and for someone to find His conviction and His truth all summer, and here on the last night of camp for the summer, was this girl who wanted to know Jesus. After I recomposed myself, I asked if there was anyone else in the group of seven who could say the same thing (that they wanted to know what it meant to have a relationship with God), and three more girls rose their hands. I had to sturggle to keep my jaw from hanging in shock at how God was working. I excitedly took these four girls to a corner of a room and shared with them and led them in prayer so that they might have a relationship with God.
If our night stopped there, it would have been exciting enough, but God was not done. I was able to talk to another girl about her conviction to get rid of things that were distrcting her from God and pursue medical missions. Another counselor led another girl to Christ and talked to her about what it means to be saved. God just did incredible things in those few hours. I cannot help but think about how much more He could have done if we had just surrendered to Him humbly in the first place. Yet, He is sovereign and so I trust that He will bring together His good and perfect will and plan, in spite of my mistakes. That is one thing that I find so amazing about Him.
So, that is finally the conclusion of the story of my summer at camp. I pet a chicken, I rode a hot air balloon, I met a lot of people, and I saw God work greatly. It was a great learning experience, and though there were times I wasn't glad for it in the moment, looking back, I appreciate it so much!
I said in the previous post that I had finally surrendered to God my work. By doing this I gave Him the opportunity to work. I was no longer the one planning what to do or what to say. I no longer had any control over what was happening. (I didn't have any control before, but I guess I wanted to think that I did.) That was where I was at spiritually when this week started, and I only wish it hadn't taken me six weeks to get there.
Being girl's week, and being that we had about 30 girls between the four of us female counselors, we took advantage of the space we had and took over the cabins the boys had been using the weeks before. I was given my own cabin at the other end of the camp site (I was working with another counselor before) and a group of seven girls. Like I said before, each night we were in charge of leading cabin devotions before bed. Being resigned to God's will, not my own plans, I cannot tell you what we talked about each night. I did teach a devotion, I promise, but I could not tell you what any of the devotions were about. I do remember, however, the numerous questions I recieved after each topic was discussed: questions about creation and the validity of the Bible, about angels and God and baptism and salvation. I recieved queston after question after question, and I could not believe the way God was working in the hearts of these girls who desired nothing more than to know the truth. Some of these questions were harder to answer than others, but I tried my best to give the best answers I could. In the end, though, the only answer I really knew was Jesus Christ, so that's what I shared with them.
Each night I was able to share the gospel with my girls and talk about the great love that it took for God to make such a sacrifice. Weeks before, I had planned to give a presentation of the gospel on Wednesday nights (because the gospel is always presented on the 4th night of VBS and stuff), but this week was like a week long explanation of God's love and sacrifice for a relationship with us. Wednesday night came around, and the same thing happened in our cabin that had been happening all week long: questions. And, like every night before, I was able to share the gospel with my girls. This night, however, we were able to have a discussion about what it all meant afterward. We talked about the pain Jesus went through, both physically and spiritually. We talked about how much God loved us, even before we existed. These girls were shocked! Why would God do such a thing for me? Listening to their amazement made me realize the truly amazing thing that God did for me! One girl, after several had made a trip to the bathroom, asked me, "If this is true, then why aren't more people out there telling people about it?" My heart rose and sank at the same time. I was so proud of this girl for realizing the importance of such a decision, but I also realized the weight and depth of such a statement. She was right. Why aren't we taking the message of Jesus more seriously? Why aren't we sharing it more? Why don't we care like we should? This thought has stayed close to my heart ever since that night.
The next morning, as the girls got ready for breakfast, I lay on my bed marveling at how far God had taken us to this last full day of camp. I looked up to see one girl sitting on her bed READING HER BIBLE! I have never smiled so big in my life! I thanked God for the work He was able to do through me when I stepped to the side. God was not done working that day, however.
The whole week we had been preparing a few songs to sing and scriptures to read for our trip to the nursing home the last day. When we finally made it onto the bus to go to the nursing home, everyone was so excited (and loud)! This mood continued as we walked through the different sections of the home, singing "Jesus Loves Me" and "How Great is Our God," yet as time went by, the mood began to change. While we were singing to one elderly gentleman who was sitting in his wheelchair without his teeth in, I looked up to see one girl crying. Soon, another girl joined her, then another one, and another one... but the time we got back on the bus to leave, over half of the girls who were so full of laughter and excitement when we arrived at the nursing home we now silent with soggy faces. We decided that, instead of continuing with the plans we had made, we would move into a time of reflection and devotion when we arrived back at the camp.
We gathered all of the girls in the multipurpose room to talk about what they were going through. Many of them were greiving the loss of loved ones who had spent the last parts of their time in the nursing home. Others were just humbled and broken. One of the other counselors gave a gospel presentation. Then we broke the girls up into groups and prayed with them. I had the privilege of meeting and praying with seven girls. I asked them what God had been doing in their lives that week, and one girl (one in my cabin who had heard an unplanned gospel presentation every night; the one who I had seen reading her Bible that very morning) rose her hand to say that she did not have a relationship with God, but that she wanted to know how to. Wow. In that moment, I was so humbled. We had been restless to see God work and for someone to find His conviction and His truth all summer, and here on the last night of camp for the summer, was this girl who wanted to know Jesus. After I recomposed myself, I asked if there was anyone else in the group of seven who could say the same thing (that they wanted to know what it meant to have a relationship with God), and three more girls rose their hands. I had to sturggle to keep my jaw from hanging in shock at how God was working. I excitedly took these four girls to a corner of a room and shared with them and led them in prayer so that they might have a relationship with God.
If our night stopped there, it would have been exciting enough, but God was not done. I was able to talk to another girl about her conviction to get rid of things that were distrcting her from God and pursue medical missions. Another counselor led another girl to Christ and talked to her about what it means to be saved. God just did incredible things in those few hours. I cannot help but think about how much more He could have done if we had just surrendered to Him humbly in the first place. Yet, He is sovereign and so I trust that He will bring together His good and perfect will and plan, in spite of my mistakes. That is one thing that I find so amazing about Him.
So, that is finally the conclusion of the story of my summer at camp. I pet a chicken, I rode a hot air balloon, I met a lot of people, and I saw God work greatly. It was a great learning experience, and though there were times I wasn't glad for it in the moment, looking back, I appreciate it so much!
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