This Is Home Part 2

It's been close to four months since camp wrapped up for the year, and I still can't go a day without thinking about it. It isn't simply because of the job or because of actually being at camp, it's the friendships I made and strengthened there that will last a lifetime, it's the encouragement from my brothers and sisters in Christ, and it's just an amazing place. I saw God do so much work there, not to mention a lot of work in me. Whatever God was doing in me at that time, and even now, it feels like chaos inside of me, but there's still this feeling of peace. Looking back over the summer, I have this great feeling of nostalgia and yearning. I can't wait for next year. Like I said, not just to see my friends and have us all be together again, but simply to feel God's presence everywhere I go and in everything I do while I'm there. I feel God's presence now, but being in this world hampers that a lot. I left camp on such a spiritual high, and suffice it to say, it's come crashing to the ground. It's built back up, but it's nowhere near the level it was July 27, 2008.

Everything I did this summer was so out of character for me. I left Baptist Park a changed man. I can't explain a lot of what went on there, it's between me and the Lord. I can say, however, to go into a situation over which you have no control and simply walking forward blindfolded while telling God "I'm yours to do what you want" at the same is absolutely. freaking. terrifying. Yes, it was just Summer camp; yes, it was only a few minutes from home, but I'm now a lifetime away from who I was June 15, 2008. My walk with the Lord took such great strides this year, and in the past year, if you want to look at it from a leaping/bounding analogy, i've flown. I've soared. I kept going back to one of my favorite verses. Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is being certain of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see. At the times where I didn't know what the heck I was doing, I'd always stumble back through to this verse. Always, without fail. It's kind of like when a little child asks their father the same question over and over, and he always responds in the same, kind, loving tone.

"You don't see what I'm doing, but you will soon. It's going to be huge, you'll see." What did I do to deserve ANYTHING like that? What did I do to deserve even a passing glance from God? Nothing. Yet, He loved me still. He loves me enough to plan these huge, amazing things for me. This summer, I got just a tiny glimpse of what lies ahead. I can't freaking wait.

And just to show that amidst my massive growth this past summer, we DID have some great moments of utter stupidity:

-That's too big to be a camper!
-Oh....dear.
-ABORT THE L POSITION!
-We need to do a devotional about girls...NNNNNOTSONGOFSOLOMON!
-EER!
-My car flies. No joke. Ask Nate. It also makes pretty patterns on the basketball court and is good to play tetherball in.