There is a place that I have such a place in my heart for! I cannot even explain how much I am In Love with this place! It is somewhere that has helped me to fall even more IN LOVE with my Jesus! This place is called S.O.S. (Service Over Self). It is a inner-city home repair ministry camp! I’ve worked at this place for three summers now! Just finished up my last….and I mean, LAST! It breaks my heart to know that I just finished my last time on summer staff with this place! I’ve been a team leader for two summers (I basically lead youth groups in devotionals and construction on homes while ministering to the homeowners; and I was a Volunteer Coordinator this past summer….one tough position…let me tell you! I think God challenged me more this summer than I could ever know! There were many times that I felt completely out of my comfort zone….I was more alone than ever at S.O.S. (It’s hard to imagine ever feeling lonely when you are constantly surrounded by 39 other people, but I was). I think God was teaching me to really learn to rely on HIm! There are so many times when I find comfort among others and fill my time with Him up with Godly people….that is not enough for the one who saved me….I fail all the time, but yet, He still wants me!
I have to admit that I came into my last summer already with an idea of not giving it my all because I was older than the rest of the staff…and just felt like I was in a different place than everyone else! I automatically placed myself in a different place than the other staff members. I found out quickly that God had different plans for me this summer! As much as I was trying to place myself in a different place than the others, I found out real quick that we had similar problems….family, familiar pasts, friends, and struggles with our intimacy with God! We were all broken…we were all in need of God….we were all there to follow Christ…to be obedient….to be used by Him! We were the same!
Once I got over myself and realized that we all were similar….I was free to love on my co-workers….to really care about them and learn about them. God really laid my roommates on my heart for that summer. I wanted to learn to love and serve them the best I could! It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with those 5 amazing young women…who were on fire for the Lord! Who were giving up their summers to live a life for the Lord and to learn how to give up their daily lives for Him! They were my sisters! I needed them more than I thought I would! Every Tuesday night (we called it Tillman Tuesday…Tillman for our bedroom name), we would meet in our room and talk about our past week and the struggles that we were going through, and one person from the room would share her testimony. We became an accountability group for each other. I loved Tuesday nights! I miss them so much! I miss my sisters!
I came out of the summer with some great friendships with some of the girls…something I was not expecting…something I was almost not allowing myself to have! I thank God that He had another plan for me and that He placed those girls in my life! I’m also glad to have become friends with some of the guys….they may be young, but they are amazing men of God…I can see the Jesus in them! They are GREAT! I’m so honored to have gotten to work with such wonderful men and women of Christ!
It was hard to have to leave early from camp! I had to say goodbye to those friendships that I had made…to my sisters and brothers. However, I left S.O.S. knowing that God had changed me and challenged me, and I am so glad that He did! I feel even more prepared to go into the nations for Him! He placed me at S.O.S. for a reason….He used that place to grow me closer to HIm!…to use me for His glory….I’m glad that He is using me!…I pray that He keeps using me!
So, I say goodbye to this chapter of my life, and move on to the next! It is hard to know that I will prob. never be on summer staff at S.O.S. again, but it has helped prepare me for what God is doing with me now!
