Of all the things I have learned at camp, the most important by far is how God is so much larger than our idea. God has been and is continuing to teach me how to pray large and expect the Lord to defy expectations.
This past week I was blessed with two wonderful campers: Linda and Cassy. It’s almost hard to know where to begin with them. On a God given impulse, I bought journals for my campers and gave them to them as prayer journals Sunday night. Both of them took to them like a match to dryer lent. The entire week was filled with discussions of what it means to pray to God, how one can pray to God, what one says to God. After a fun Monday, a came out of the bathroom to find both of my campers sitting on the floor writing in their prayer journals together, then reading their prayers to each other.
Then Wednesday rolled around. While doing prayer beads with our living group, Linda asked is she could write in her journal. The next thing I know, My co counselors and I are listening to Cassy give Linda an encouraging speech about how God made Linda beautifully and loves to know everything about her and the beautiful personality he gave her.
By Friday the week was so full of God moments I had stopped counting them. Both campers spent the morning anxious about High Elements. After much conversation, distraction, consoling, and goofing about both were calmed down and pumped up enough to try the first challenge: the Swing. We watched one camper do it, and both of mine were more or less jumping into their harnesses. After they both did the swing, we made the journey to the zip line.
Ms. Linda is the most joyful person you will ever met. She went to bed and woke up with a smile on her face and giggled throughout the day. Walking to the zip line looked like a death march. She was never even a tiny bit receptive to the idea of the zip line. The only way we got her there at all was to encourage and cheer on Cassy.
After Cassy and I zipped I decided to give it one last shot. I asked Linda if she would put on a harness for a picture: Yes. I told her we were going to take the picture on the platform: No problem. We had to put a helmet and tether on to get on the platform: Sure. We were going to clip in for the picture: Why not. Since we were already there, why not zip: No. Alright, let’s sit down: I guess I can. Let’s slide forward: …alright. Why don’t we zip? no. Tell me why not: They dropped me.
The last time she had been on the zip line, the catcher on the other side had not caught her. Chris and I assured her that our friends on the other side would catch her this time. Before we finish Linda declares: “Okay, I’ll go! I go now.”
And she did. She launched herself off the platform without another glance, leaving me scrambling to zip after her. She was so pumped she ran the entire trail back.
God is limitless. He is amazing in all of his ways. I am so full of what I have learned that I’m ready to depart to serve and share in new places. Here I am. Send me.
