No Vain, All Gain

"He has shown you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercifully, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8

So I have not blogged much recently, and the reason behind this is camp. I have spent the last 12 weeks working at Camp Longridge again. If I had to wrap this summer up in one word, that word would be challenging. There were numerous times this summer where I had to demonstrate patience and respect when I was fed up with a kid or frustrated with another staffer. Turmoil and drama was present within our staff body, and yet we managed to work past our differences and create an atmosphere in which 103 students came to know the Lord. We were able to work together to create a sacred and safe space for children to grow closer to their God. For me, the world, problems, and all conflict fades away when that one child raises their hand signifying that they just said the sinner's prayer. One Bible lesson used the verse in Luke 15:7 that says, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who need not repent." This verse is a reminder that we should celebrate every time that a new child of God is born. In fact, yesterday, we also rang the bell at the top of the famous Longridge steps 103 times to represent the souls that were saved over the summer. As each ding happened, I had a mental image of angels celebrating in heaven, and I was consumed with chills because I knew that unseen angels were celebrating right along with us...and to be honest, that's why we do what we do. All the days of raking pinestraw, painting buildings, and cleaning toilets was all to create the sacred space in which a child would meet Jesus one day during the summer. None of the work was in vain and all of it was for the glory of our King.

In addition, I created my own "theme song" and "theme verse" for the summer. My theme song was "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman, and I listened to it every morning to remind myself that I needed to "point to You enough to make a mark on things, I want[ed] to leave an offering [as] a child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically." I wanted to leave a stamp of God on each child that came through the gate and I am honored that God chose me to be the ink that He would do that with. Also, my theme verse is listed above...Micah 6:8. This verse is a guideline of how we should approach every day and how our attitudes should reflect that of our Lord and Savior. We should act in a just and fair manner, never playing favorites or looking down on a child simply because they are young. We should love mercifully by never using authority to spite anyone or by simply getting down on a child's level and spending time talking to them. And lastly, Micah commends us to walk humbly with our God. Humility is a necessity for anyone working at a camp because a servant's heart is the first character trait needed to be a successful counselor. It is not for our glory that we take on such a role, yet it is all  for the glory of our Savior, and it is for that reason that staffers come back from year to year.

I challenge you, whether you are a peer staffer of mine or not to live by Micah 6:8 and to act justly, love mercifully, and to walk humbly with God in everything you do.