The staff hosted a banquet for friends and family of the ministry just yesterday evening. The camp director had an opportunity to share the history of Camp Calvary, its current ministry and impact on the community, and the future plans and goals for its expansion. It was a rich blessing to hear even more God stories that took place through the years besides the ones I have concerning how God worked in and through me last summer. I cannot describe how joyful it is to work for weeks in order to prepare to minister to kids, and then to watch God do infinitely more than we could have imagined upon their arrival.
Matthew 6:21 has been consuming my thoughts and transforming my attitude towards this summer. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I heard a message once by Randy Alcorn concerning this verse and its context. He emphasized that we will have a heart for the things that we invest our treasures into. This means that if we place our treasures such as time and money into Missions, then we will have a heart that values and prioritizes it. And it is amazing how much more appreciation we gain for people once we know their stories and understand their circumstances.
In the same way, God is teaching me to view the everyday, mundane tasks and to-do lists at camp as investments to the big picture of the ministry. Pulling weeds isn’t just pulling weeds, and cleaning isn’t just about fly swatters, mops, and bottles of Windex. I must see the time that I put into these tasks as opportunity for the Lord to mold and prepare my heart for his high purposes..
Last year I remember sitting on a hill beside the pool with a junior high girl named Sydney. I remember sharing the meaning of repentance with her through a glance at Isaiah 6. I remember her response. She trusted the Lord as her Savior right then and there. I remember thinking that nothing could be sweeter. This time around I am more than excited at the fact that the Lord will be working in the hearts of young people in similar ways. While we are not always promised that we will see all the fruits of our labor, we must believe with great faith that the Lord will do more than we could even ask of him. Oh the stories that there will be to tell..
I will do my best to share these stories as they come. I covet your prayers until then.
“Take all my cravings for vain recognition, fleshly indulgence and worldly ambition. I want so much Lord to make you my focus, to serve you in secret and never be noticed. So I surrender all to you, and I surrender all.”
Blessings.
