So crazy thunderstorms rolled in during the night, lowering the high temperature from Wednesday’s 97, to the crazy low temperature of 85 on Thursday. It was a beautiful thing. The birds were happier. The skies were bluer. The clouds were fluffier. And let’s face it….we weren’t as sweaty.
I began the day with learning an important lesson – fake dollar bills are too thin for a paper shredder to notice. Just in case you’re ever in a predicament where it depends upon you shredding fake paper dollar bills, now you know. 🙂
In the morning, we talked about not serving two masters. The teens were guided through a prayer experience, where Jesus challenged them to open the door, allowing Him access to an area of their life that previously they’d not wanted Him. Whether something traumatic they’ve gone through, or an area they’re hiding, or perhaps even an area they were unaware missed His presence until they took that walk with Him.
In any case, the Joy of the Lord was pretty sweet, as the teens came forward. They had written the name of their “door” on the back of the dollar bill. This door was a “master” in their life, and they ripped the bill in half and threw it away. Jesus gained access to many previously closed areas of lives this week…..:)
Which, as a speaker, led me to another thought. Coming into the week, I felt a lot of pressure, perhaps my own, to make sure at least one night of camp had a crazy large altar call. I imagined many crying teens, recognizing their need for transformation, and beginning it at the altar. I thought that possibly my speaking ability might even be judged based on whether or not that happened.
Here we are mid-week, and I’ve finally been released from that. In our mornings together, we have a prayer experience with Jesus that is followed by a physical response. After both morning and evening sessions, the teens spend time in small groups, discussing and praying about what God was saying in service. There are plenty of opportunities for lives to be transformed in a context that makes more sense for a mid-western junior higher from 2010. Not saying the altar experience is outdated, by any means…and I still pray some catch that sort of experience. But if I don’t witness one this week, I still believe God has been, and is at work in these lives…and it is good. 🙂
words from wick 