The week is over; first week of camp; 340+ campers; 3 different age groups; 2 different speakers; arrived in a torrential rainstorm; left with a cool breeze to their back and a sun filled sky: WONDERFUL WEEK!
The counselors outdid themselves this week. As I went around Wednesday night after the storm checking the covered wagons to see if there was any water issues in the wagons and switching on a light for the camper's return, I was shocked at the amount of wet clothes and muddy shoes laying around the small confines of the wagon. But one wagon counselor comments sticks out to me from the week: Molly, on two occasions came up and shared, "One of my campers rededicated their life to Christ tonight!" She came into the office on Wednesday evening prior to the storm and told me of one campers decision: I was too preoccupied by the radar screen to celebrate with her.
We celebrate on Friday evening at the final staff meeting of the week; counselors report of those who accepted Christ and of those of rededicated their lives. The counselors tell of funny stories of the week, heartaches of the week, and victories of the week. Without fail, one or two cabins have an outstanding week where every camper make decisions for Christ; other cabins report one or two that made decisions. Regardless, lives are being changed by the impact of the counselor and the speaker. Young people are looking for good, positive Christian models to cling to and to believe in. Over and and over I tell the summer staff, "Guard your heart, guard what you say and how you behave during the week; you have many sets of young eyes looking you over and checking your testimony out... one miss-said word or action can/will/could keep one of your campers from making the decision of a life time... to accept or reject Christ."
I fished with the fishing campers this week at my pond near my house; it was the only body of water not muddied by the rains. The boys were young and inexperienced in their fishing skills; I could tell some had never really handled a fishing pole before. They came to camp with nice new poles that mom and dad had bought them. Some were the complicated type: open-face-type, while others were the typical Zepco 202's. It didn't take me long to go to the house and drag out my 10+ simple telescopic, fiberglass cane poles. The boys looked at me and couldn't figure out what you could do with a 14' stick with a string attached to it. I called them my miracle poles: after the first two boys caught 8 or 10 fish with the miracle poles, other boys threw their rod and reels down and asked, "You have anymore of those miracle poles Earl?" By the end of the fishing time, all poles were being used, and everyone was catching fish.
Miracles poles: there was no miracle involved here; it was just a simple system of pole, line, and hook. No tangled lines, no balled-up reels, just the essentials. Like camp: miracle camp: campfire experience at camp... nothing fancy... no complicated program... no big time speaker... just a camp fire and a group of counselors and kids singing and sharing testimonies..... and then a miracle happens where the Spirit of the Lord moves into young people's hearts and they are changed by a simple declaration, "I accept you Lord. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my life."
Like the miracle poles, we want to keep it simple here at camp. It is about the heart of the camper.... period. Counselors don't need to understand deep theological issues in order to share their faith with campers; they need only to be available to share the simple truth that all are sinners and that Christ loved you so much that He died for your sins ... you only must confess and receive Him.
Why can't life be that simple in the adult world of life: why do we struggle so much to share our faith with those we work with and interact with throughout our day? Perhaps we too need to throw aside the complicated rods and reels of our evangelistic approach and pick up the simple and effective gospel of Christ... and begin to share as if we were sharing to a small child.
Let's go fishing... for eternity's sake!
earldtaylor@yahoo.com
The counselors outdid themselves this week. As I went around Wednesday night after the storm checking the covered wagons to see if there was any water issues in the wagons and switching on a light for the camper's return, I was shocked at the amount of wet clothes and muddy shoes laying around the small confines of the wagon. But one wagon counselor comments sticks out to me from the week: Molly, on two occasions came up and shared, "One of my campers rededicated their life to Christ tonight!" She came into the office on Wednesday evening prior to the storm and told me of one campers decision: I was too preoccupied by the radar screen to celebrate with her.
We celebrate on Friday evening at the final staff meeting of the week; counselors report of those who accepted Christ and of those of rededicated their lives. The counselors tell of funny stories of the week, heartaches of the week, and victories of the week. Without fail, one or two cabins have an outstanding week where every camper make decisions for Christ; other cabins report one or two that made decisions. Regardless, lives are being changed by the impact of the counselor and the speaker. Young people are looking for good, positive Christian models to cling to and to believe in. Over and and over I tell the summer staff, "Guard your heart, guard what you say and how you behave during the week; you have many sets of young eyes looking you over and checking your testimony out... one miss-said word or action can/will/could keep one of your campers from making the decision of a life time... to accept or reject Christ."
I fished with the fishing campers this week at my pond near my house; it was the only body of water not muddied by the rains. The boys were young and inexperienced in their fishing skills; I could tell some had never really handled a fishing pole before. They came to camp with nice new poles that mom and dad had bought them. Some were the complicated type: open-face-type, while others were the typical Zepco 202's. It didn't take me long to go to the house and drag out my 10+ simple telescopic, fiberglass cane poles. The boys looked at me and couldn't figure out what you could do with a 14' stick with a string attached to it. I called them my miracle poles: after the first two boys caught 8 or 10 fish with the miracle poles, other boys threw their rod and reels down and asked, "You have anymore of those miracle poles Earl?" By the end of the fishing time, all poles were being used, and everyone was catching fish.
Miracles poles: there was no miracle involved here; it was just a simple system of pole, line, and hook. No tangled lines, no balled-up reels, just the essentials. Like camp: miracle camp: campfire experience at camp... nothing fancy... no complicated program... no big time speaker... just a camp fire and a group of counselors and kids singing and sharing testimonies..... and then a miracle happens where the Spirit of the Lord moves into young people's hearts and they are changed by a simple declaration, "I accept you Lord. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my life."
Like the miracle poles, we want to keep it simple here at camp. It is about the heart of the camper.... period. Counselors don't need to understand deep theological issues in order to share their faith with campers; they need only to be available to share the simple truth that all are sinners and that Christ loved you so much that He died for your sins ... you only must confess and receive Him.
Why can't life be that simple in the adult world of life: why do we struggle so much to share our faith with those we work with and interact with throughout our day? Perhaps we too need to throw aside the complicated rods and reels of our evangelistic approach and pick up the simple and effective gospel of Christ... and begin to share as if we were sharing to a small child.
Let's go fishing... for eternity's sake!
earldtaylor@yahoo.com
1 comment:
Hang in there Earl....Your doing great..
Don Burgett
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