I'm Here For You
For the first two days of camp, trouble followed Brian everywhere like a shadow. Everything seemed to make him angry, and the other campers felt like they were living with a rumbling volcano on the top bunk. When he wasn’t angry, Brian complained. He didn't enjoy camp and wanted to go home.
In short, it was the perfect set-up for God to do His thing.
On the second night of camp, Brian's cabin director, Taylor, sensed that Brian was having trouble sleeping. Quietly, in the darkness, prompted by the Holy Spirit, Taylor spoke, "Brian, are you awake?"
"Yeah. Why?" Brian responded.
"Hey man," Taylor replied, "I love you, and, if you ever want to talk to pray, I'm here for you."
Brian immediately took Taylor up on the offer, and asked if Taylor would pray for him. They stepped outside the cabin. There, with tree frogs and crickets chirping loudly in the background, Brian opened up to Taylor about his home life. He had been in and out of foster care. His parents were divorced. He had a distant brother with whom he longed for a closer relationship.
Brian confessed that he had a lot of doubts about God, but he wanted to believe. Taylor listened as Brian explained his struggles and fears, his anxieties and his behavior issues. When Brian was finished, Taylor prayed with him and hugged him. Then they stepped back inside the cabin and went to sleep.
God moved in Brian's heart that night. From that point forward, he was a transformed camper! The violent volcano on the verge of eruption was gone. Instead, he began to show love and kindness to other campers. Additionally, his desire to leave camp was replaced by a huge zeal and love for this place.
He was a completely different person. Brian's attitude, perspective, and mindset had been totally changed by the love of God expressed through Taylor.
This is just one example of the unplanned, unforeseeable, life-changing moments that happen when kids come to camp. We never know when, where, or how God is going to move, but we stay ready.
In the in-between times, we just keep pouring out the love of God into their lives, and wait to see what God does next.
