camp

Well, I’m almost done packing for camp. I have all the essentials . . . clothes . . . toothbrush . . . and all the things that would make little girls think their counselor is sweet like nail polish, markers, stickers, and, yes, even supplies for matching bracelets. It should be a sweet experience. I’m really excited and really nervous all at the same time. I’m trying to be prepared, and yet have no idea what to expect. I was talking to my cousin about camp and soaking up her “former camp counselor wisdom.” I told her that everything that I learn about camp helps me to be more prepared. Her response was a good reminder. She said, “yes, but you can never really be prepared.” It’s true and a little intimidating. But as crazy as that thought is for me, it’s part of what makes me look forward to this summer with great expectation. “If we go only where we know and do what we’re certain will succeed, we remove our need for God” (Erwin McManus, Seizing Your Devine Moment).
So, this summer pray that that I can lead a cabin full of girls well. Pray that I will fill their week at camp with lots of crazy fun. Pray that I can bond them together as a cabin. Pray that I will help them encounter the love of Christ. Overall pray that I will stop thinking about what I can do, and start thinking more about what God will do through me when I offer each day to Him. There will be times when I feel like I’m on top of it all, and times when I’m burnt out beyond belief; But ultimately, that shouldn’t matter if it’s God working through me.
I know that God has amazing plans for this summer. What He is going to do in the lives of the kids who spend a week of their summer at camp is going to be greater than what anyone of us could ever accomplish on our own. It amazes me that I’m going to have the opportunity to be a part of it. Basically, I want to be a vessel. I want God to be able to work in and through my life so that I can serve Him out of the overflow of my heart, acceding to His heart. For, “Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him” (John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ).