Well, my summer adventure is over. Like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, I have traveled “there and back again.” After 3 1/2 months of working at camp, here I am, back home again. The summer was amazing! At times it was challenging, a stretching and growing experience, with God continually teaching me new things. One of the things that I love about working at camp is that it draws me closer to Him and teaches me to rely on Him for my strength.
Some of my favorite verses this summer were from the book of Psalms. I started reading some of the Psalms each day, and learned to appreciate them as I never have before.
Psalms 18:29-36 “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”
Another one of my favorite things about working at camp (besides getting to work with the kids, and do something worthwhile with my summer) is the friendships that develop among the staff. Friendships made at camp are different from ordinary friendships and naturally so, when you go through so much together. Like soldiers on the field of battle, camp friends are dear comrades in arms in the cause of Christ. There is a depth to those friendships that is hard to reach elsewhere because the setting is so unique. You work beside those people for several months, day after day, all day long; everyone has the same goal, everyone experiences the same difficulties. You see the other staff at their best and at their worst, when they are having a good day, or a “horrible-rotten-no-good-very-bad day.” You learn to pray for each other and love each other with brotherly love.
Our staff verse this year was Romans 12:10-13 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.“
It’s an awesome verse, one that we should all strive to follow, not only during the summer but all year long! :)
Lessons from the Barn:
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