The Beauty of Camp

The moment you arrive there is an instant sense of newness. Fresh Air, Nature, Still water, Streams, Green trees, dampness, leaves on the ground, dishes clanking, furniture being moved around, hum of conversation, laughter, light…I am home.

Jesus is here.

Its always been this way for me at camp. Of course, there is underlying anticipation and some trepidation as you embark upon the beginning of any camp experience but for some reason the moment to step on the grounds of camp, everything becomes rightly ordered.

This morning I was reading in Galatians 5:7, “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” The Galatians had a good beginning, they had a firm foundation and were living gospel faith but then the legalistic influence came and prevented the unsaved from responding to grace and believers from living by faith. Paul was asking who hindered you from obeying the truth.

I think this is the perfect question to ask myself before serving pre-beilieving youth at camp. Who has hindered me? and maybe not who but what. What are the obstacles to my growth in grace and truth? Where have I strayed? What is God putting back into proper order?

Paul goes on in verse 13 to say “For you were called to freedom. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but through love, serve one another”. Is it possible that the solution to obeying the truth and the remedy to the flesh can be found in LOVE and SERVICE? I think yes!

So, today as I learn all about this new country, their culture, their ways. As the Lord searches my heart and puts it back into order, let us pray that we (yes you too) may be humble and obedient to the task at hand. You don’t have to be preparing for a mission in order to be commited to Love and Service. Uncover what has hindered you from obeying the truth, be willing to cast that aside and be commited to the great commision. Love God and Love others.

The Psalm says for the Lord knows the way of the righteous. (Psalm 1:6). Know me Lord.