Here I am sitting in my room after getting home from five days at God's Mountain, a summer camp in Rushville, Missouri. I honestly don't even know where to start. It was
amazing.
During our first full day there, Sunday, we didn't begin any work projects, but I think that was more than fine because we were all ready for a break from school and work, so getting to run around and hang out was perfect.
Monday is when the fun really started. We got assigned to different work groups, and I was placed in a group that worked under the instruction of Conrad, a man who frequently volunteers at the camp with his carpentry skills to aid in the construction of buildings and landscaping. Two other people on the trip and I spent the majority of our work time together for the first three days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday), putting trim on the corners on the cabins (we mastered nail guns and measuring tapes) and building retaining walls. The fourth day of work, Thursday, we helped stain a lot of wood features on the playground and some staircases. Other projects that went on included repainting the playground equipment, siding a cabin, painting some rooms, cleaning in general, and revamping the campfire area.
I mentioned Conrad, a volunteer at the camp. He wasn't the only one of his family there. His wife Nancy also hung around, encouraging everyone and walking around talking to us. As a 60-some-year-old woman, she had some amazing insights to share with us. At least once a day she would stop and talk with my two work partners and I. Although I want to record word for word what she said, I can't because of memory and length. She talked a lot about love and serving the Lord though. Most importantly she stressed to not go looking for love. To wait. God has a plan for each of us, and when we are following His path He will place a person going the same direction as us and together the pair can work to serve the Lord. She used her own story as an example, how shortly after ending a relationship she met Conrad and they were both called into camp ministry. She also repeated over and over how important it is to make sure your significant other places God high above anything else so that the foundation in the Lord is strong and will help stabilize everything else. She explained how when the one is there, you'll know because God will have you both going the same way. And finally in her lesson on love, she said to ask the question: "Will (s)he help me accomplish the plan God has set for me or just pull me away from it?". She gave the example of a couple who had broken up because, although they were both Christians, one was being called to overseas ministry while the other wasn't, and had they stayed together their callings would have been hindered. And as far as serving the Lord, she had such joy in doing what she was called to do and doing it joyfully. She loves how God will use gifts and talents in a way to bring Him glory. One of the things I know I'll miss most about the week is Nancy's talks.
Every day after lunch we got an hour of quiet/devo time. I always spent it sitting in my eno (a compact portable hammock) that, funnily enough, about seven other people also brought. Although I didn't necessarily have any ground breaking revelations during quiet time, it was good to just sit and listen for God's voice and take in the peaceful atmosphere. I also was asked to give one of the post breakfast devos so I spent one of my quiet times prepping for that. The devo I got to prepare was over serving which was great since that's something I am passionate about.
Here's the thing about serving this week. It was dirty. There's no doubt about that. We were all exhausted. But, despite that, no one will argue how unbelievably fun it all was. Luke 19:10 says the Jesus came to seek and save the lost. John 13:14-15 reads, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you". When we serve, not only are we doing it for a higher purpose but we're doing as Jesus did, and working to benefit the world in a way that glorifies Him. That's our purpose, too. Do as I have done for you. So when we're able to serve, no matter how hard the task is, and serve with a bunch of other people who also want to lift up God's name, it becomes fun. I really began to understand this late Thursday afternoon when my crew had been working hard all day and really did not want to stain one last staircase. After motivating each other and getting started, I realized how any job can be fun in the right mindset, and we were having fun. We were all working together to stain, and singing songs (though out of tune) to help pass the time. Serving is about looking past ourselves to honor God's higher purpose for our lives.
Something about this week is that I really felt at peace. Although that seems contradictory because I was working hard, I enjoyed the open air away from society, the acoustic worship every night, being real with my small group, and primarily staying away from technology. My life felt so uncluttered. My head was clear, even though I had (and still have) a lot to think about, and I was simply just not distracted by all the demands of life.
Now, hard work does not come without its fair share of injuries as well as times of fun. To begin, the retaining walls we built required moving large, what I can only assume to be, 5-50 pound rocks. Twice a rock got set down on my foot which massively ached, and then I was careless and got my hand caught under one which bruised my knuckle. I also received numerous scratches and cuts from rocks and wood. While working on siding, I also clotheslined myself in the face with a rope strung up, and have a decently sized cut on the bridge of my nose now. Last but not least, on Thursday night I opened a door on my bare foot and caught the skin around my toenail, which has been bleeding and aching pretty steadily since then. But, none of these hindered my motivation or joy, but instead added to both because I felt tough and the situations were quite amusing. As for fun, on the last night we had a talent show, and many of the acts were so funny that I laughed until I cried. God is so good.
For a while now I have been considering going into counseling. I love to listen, my heart aches for others in pain or hurting, and I love spending time around people. One of my favorite things is knowing I've brightened someone's day. As we were about to leave the camp, I was talking to two of the young twenty-some-year-old volunteer/employees of the camp, Shea and Sarah. I was saying how I couldn't wait to come back next year, and then Shea commented how I could even come back the next year. I jokingly replied, "Yeah, to keep building walls!" to which he responded "No, as a counselor, to use your bright attitude to share Jesus with the students". Although I didn't think much of it at the time, during the drive home I actually started to consider it seriously. I don't know if I would return to God's Mountain in particular, maybe I would, who knows, but working as a camp counselor might be something I would actually enjoy. I'm just going to follow Nancy's advice and keep listening to what God has to say, and I'll see what happens in the next few years.
In the upcoming years, I have two goals to uphold; one serious and one less so. I want to keep serving the Lord with a joyful spirit as we are instructed to do in His Word. And I also want to learn and practice card manipulation so I can show Shea up next year.
Oh, what a great trip is was, what wonderful relationships I built, and what joy I gained from it.
God is so good
Spring break 2016: HE>me
