Last week I had the opportunity to be a camp counselor at a kids camp that holds the biggest piece of my heart. This camp is Hallowed Ground (also the theme for the camp this summer). The whole campus has this overwhelming atmosphere that brings so much joy and peace and life. But the chapel, I swear, the Holy Spirit spends so much time in there. I had a conversation with my best friend Lexie, who I actually met at this camp four years ago and was blessed to counsel with (in the tiniest, wettest, and smelliest cabin), about how the moment you walk into that chapel, it’s like the Holy Spirit just hits you. It brings all sorts of emotions and feelings and there’s never a time when I don’t feel like the sermon is straight from God.
To be honest, I was so nervous about counseling. I felt really ill-equipped and unqualified and I was terrified my girls wouldn’t like me. I had never had that type of responsibility and been in that big of a leadership role in which I was constantly speaking into someone’s life. But from the first chapel monday night, I had no doubt I was supposed to be there.
The Holy Spirit hit us during worship. Not a surprise for us counselors, almost all of us had grown up going to this camp. But what came as a surprise was when a camper from another cabin group, Hannah, came up to me crying, asking to speak to me outside. I was terrified. I was so worried she wanted to go home. We had really only been there for nine hours, how could she be homesick? I was expecting the worst, but when I asked what was wrong, she told me that God was doing something in her heart. Totally not what I expected. Immediately I felt this peace and confirmation, like hey, I chose you to be here at this moment with this girl and to just love her. Trying to figure out more, I asked what exactly she felt, but she couldn’t put it to words. All she could say was “That song, I just, I wanna surrender everything.”. I sobbed. She sobbed. And for a few minutes, we just stood outside the chapel, hugging and crying.
There were a million things running through my mind, but I decided to just breathe. It couldn’t be that hard. It’s God, He sees our hearts, He knows when our intentions are pure. So I took the time to share some of my life with her. I shared with her that I struggle, that being a Christian isn’t a “get out of jail free” card, it’s not easy at all. I shared with her that it requires sacrifice and that sometimes bad things happen and that is not God, God doesn’t make bad things happen, but He will allow them to happen because He sees the whole picture and He wants to see if we’ll trust Him. And it is hard work. But she wanted it. She wanted all the trials that come with choosing Jesus. So I got to pray with her, and she accepted Jesus into her life. She decided to take that step and make her faith her own. All the feels, man.
That was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of. I can’t think of a single experience that tops leading that girl into her commitment to follow Christ wholeheartedly. Like, that’s what I want to do with my life. I want to bring kids to know Jesus. So, so awesome.
P.S. My girls also rocked. Like seriously, the coolest sixth graders I have ever met. They were so ready to receive what the Lord had for them and as much as I tried to pour into them, I think they poured into me more. They totally confirmed that I was supposed to go on World Race too, as I got to put into play a lot of things I learned at Training Camp and saw the effect it had. SO COOL.
