Getting Real with God

Think about a day, week, or event that you look forward to every summer. It can be anything. Going to a certain vacation spot, laying out in the sun, seeing someone you really enjoy. Anything. Anything at all. Do you have it? Good. Now, imagine something happening during this time that makes it even more special, more enjoyable, more memorable. Maybe you've had an experience like this. If you have, I bet you're smiling right now, remembering the exact details. If you haven't, you're imagining what it would be, aren't you? Now, it's my turn. 

One week I look forward to every summer is high school camp. Don't get me wrong, I love every week I'm at camp, but there is something special about high school camp. The campers, most of the time, are getting to the point where they can have real, honest conversations about God, life, etc. They are truly curious and want to draw closer to God during their time at camp so they can go home and be different, act differently, and impact others differently. 

I won't lie. The first couple of days were a flop spiritually. The coordinator was very honest in her feelings of being a failure. Small group discussions weren't going as in-depth as expected. There were definite "cliques", which made small group cohesion difficult, which in turn affected willingness to share within those groups. To sum it up, Satan had hold of all of us. 

We needed something, anything, to happen that would shake us. To loosen the grip Satan had on the week.

I knew something was happening on Wednesday evening when I found two campers off by themselves having what looked like a very heated conversation. Indeed, the conversation revolved around the lack of focus on God, the focus on building relationships, and what needed to be done to change this. One of these campers had written a poem the night before that addressed his frustrations with the week. I didn't get to hear it during this original conversation, but I was positive God was moving when this conversation ended with prayer, initiated by a camper. 

Campfire that night was amazing. The camper whom had written the poem shared it towards the beginning of campfire. The poem was all about how we were concerned with relationships, games, fun, etc. while we were sacrificing and missing God in everything we were doing. We were essentially going through the motions and paying no attention to God. The poem set the tone for what was to come that evening (which none of us had knowledge of). 

A college student from Ottawa was asked to speak that night, but no one knew what he was going to talk about. He ended up talking about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. He had even brought out a cross with three nails in it. Everyone was asked to take turns hitting the nails as they remembered what Christ had done for us. Cue the tears.   

At the end of his lesson, we had a time of prayer where campers were able to go to the counselors to pray. This was a moving experience, as campers praying with counselors turned into campers praying with campers. At one point, I looked around the campfire and saw brother praying with brother and their sister praying with two other campers. Their leadership and heart for God brought tears to my eyes. (If any of you are reading this, I admire your relationship with each other and God.)

After a while, many campers left to use the restroom and were told they didn't have to come back. Guess what? Every single one of them came back. One even came back with Bible in hand to look up verses that were referenced during campfire. 

I have never seen anything like this. Campers leave and come back on their own free will. Even after they were all dismissed, no one left. Not one. They wanted to stay and worship a God that had revealed Himself through that camper's poem and that counselor's message. God had shown Himself in a way that was desperately needed. And it changed the tone of the rest of the week. 

That evening was out of anybody's control. God worked through that camper, that counselor, even the coordinator who was feeling lost. When we come to Him broken and frustrated, He shows up in miraculous ways. In ways that no one would expect. That's the beauty of God. He comes to show us a new way. Not a way that we already recognize in our day-to-day lives. He's here to renew us and call us to something greater. Something He has prepared for us. We have to be willing to listen and be moved when He calls us into action. 

What is God calling you to do?