All I can say is Wow! to what God has been doing here at the YWAM (youth with a mission) camp here in Mendoza Argentina. This is so crazy to look back at my life and not really be able to remember a time I went to camp or at least I’m not sure if I remember going to one. The thing that has been brought up in my heart and to the surface of the team is that our impact can be apart of each kid attending this camp. In so many ways I remember so many great people that have poured love into my life at such a young age. I have a lot of emotions when I think of how impactful it truly is to love kids and for kids to have the moments of struggle, to understand that life is not fair and the world will always provide struggles. Being apart of the story means that we are able to impact and create life lessons that will never be over written by the world because of the (do you remember the times at camp) moments that you never forget and stick with you for a lifetime. This came to me as I had been watching kids all day overcome the fear of jumping off of what is called the leap of faith.
This image of jumping and allowing our team to catch us means our faith in God is tested without our direct knowledge of it getting tested. This obstacle is designed to help kids truly feel the physical struggle of mind over matter, knowing your team has got you and you won’t fall! but still they have doubts of what might happen when they jump. Why is it that even as adults we seem to stand at the edge of our season of struggle, our trial of faith, out next big break through or our next big life change and have so much hesitation with whether God has truly got us? As I have been watching and being a part of each life here at camp, I cannot help but see the true gift of being involved in loving others. coming from such a deep dark place (my season of depression) in life not seeing any way that joy can exists, I see now a deepened understanding of how people on earth can be filled with so much joy and live a life that has such loving, enjoyable moments in it. God is the true light and serving the kingdom of God will only open doors that not in a million years would you think are possible for you to be walking thought.
I have been struggling a lot with what it is to serve without receiving anything but love in return. It is so hard some days to press into people and to deeply give love in action. I struggle a lot with the pride of (being more useful elsewhere) the truth is I constantly have to press into changing my perspective to being thankful for the opportunity! The opportunity to wash hundreds of dishes, the opportunity to take out garbage trip after trip, to be thankful for the opportunity to wash the huge pool that I probably will never swim in…. my point is no matter what we do in life we choose our perspective of the way we see life! maybe work is not so fun and the kids are not being very good or maybe you are having marriage issues whatever the struggle of life that is happening now I want you to ask yourself this question daily for it is what helps my heart be aligned with God.
1. how am I viewing my situation and what is my role in it? Am I bringing an uplifting fight or am I just being prideful and stubborn?
The beauty of life is living! and there is so much more than constantly chasing $ or being distracted by what people want from you or the views they have about you. It is very easy to forget the truth in a life that is so fast paced and miss out on the peacefulness life is designed to bring us. In this life we are created in the image of the alpha the omega GOD and I don’t for a minute believe in what the world gives me as truth. I am growing to understand that my struggle is more about frustration with people’s views of themselves but most of us still can’t break the power of the world controlling our life by controlling who we are. This first time at a camp has truly changed my love for serving the kids of the world and It has been a huge stepping stone to understanding deeper love and joy in this beautiful world.
