Well, last
week I survived my first time of being a church camp counselor. It was a lot better than I thought it would
be. There was a breeze most of the week
to keep the heat down, the youth got along fairly well, and I wasn't forced to
participate in any activities I'd rather not do (like chasing chickens). Our church kids did really well in the
activities throughout the week. The
Lindsey Chapel Youth Choir placed first in the choir competition and a boy from
our group received the student of the week honor above all the other boys at
camp that week. There was a lot of fun
activities and good, clean entertainment, but the highlight of the week was the
preaching. Two kids from our church got
saved and that was a great blessing. I'm
sure many of the others made commitments to God throughout the week, including
myself. I thought I'd share a little bit
of what God showed me this last week and I hope that you, my readers, can help
hold me accountable.
The theme
for the week was "Don't Quit" and they used Galatians 6:9 which says,
"And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not." It is amazing how
God can bring the right messages to you right at the point you need to hear
them. I have felt like giving up a lot in
the past few years: I've considered quitting my current job multiple times, I
have given up on searching for a teaching job each summer after only applying
at a few schools, I've considered moving away from a great church, I've allowed
myself to get behind on simple tasks like doing the dishes or budgeting, and
the list could go on and on. But,
through all the ups and downs, I have felt like God is keeping me where I am
for a reason. Not just at this specific
location, but also at my current job and in my current state of
singleness. I still struggle with
discontentment, and that is why I have made multiple attempts to get out of
these circumstances. I think that by
denying my requests for change, God has been trying to tell me that I need to
learn to fully depend on Him. In
everything. With my job, with my money,
with my desire to be married, with my family and friends, there is nothing that
God overlooks. He knows everything about
me, and He knows exactly what I need and when I need it.
There are so
many other good points that were made in the messages I heard last week. Maybe, I will get an opportunity to use some
of them in future posts. For now, I'll
focus on one. As with all the camps and
retreats I've gone to, this one came to an end.
Many people go through what they call a "mountain-top
experience;" they get all pumped up and ready to make a difference during
the event, but then they go home and get hit in the face with reality. One of the preachers pointed out that just
because you make a commitment, it does not mean it will be easy to keep
it. He said that we would be tested;
that our faith and resolve would be challenged as soon as we leave. I expected to be challenged with a bad day at
work the day after arriving home.
Instead, my challenge was allergies and congestion. I didn't see that coming; I had a sore throat most of the camp week,
but I didn't realize it would escalate. Since Friday afternoon, I just started
feeling worse and worse, and I spent most of the afternoon in bed on
Sunday. It is very hard to keep a
positive attitude, encourage others, and stay motivated to a task when you feel
like your head is in a fog and your energy is completely drained. I tried to stay as positive as possible at
work and church, but I felt pretty rundown by the end of the weekend. Monday did not start out too well either, but
now my symptoms have cleared up and I guess this was just a reminder to not
take anything for granted, including my health.
I hope that even if I don't feel up to par, I can still strive to have a
cheerful countenance, to be an encourager, to seek God's truth and will in my
life, and to just keep swimming :)
