"when you are sad, give your time to others, and your heart will be made glad."
Wise words, no?
This weekend, I went up to Spring Hill camp (44, not 39) to volunteer. I was excited about the opportunity to do something that for once had nothing to do with me. I wasn't receiving anything from this weekend except for the joy that comes from helping out a camp that does great things, and meeting the Junior Highers that would touch my heart in unspeakable ways. And, I was excited to get away from 'here', in a physical, emotional and spiritual sense, and go 'there' to have lots of time to let God speak to me, while I actually listened and spoke very little for once. :)
God really did speak to me, through the various volunteers, staff, the band sevenglory (www.sevenglory.com), and most especially, the youth leaders and 6th-8th graders I worked with both days.
I got to challenge & stretch myself too! The places I got to help were with the Skate Ramp, the Rocketball, the offering, moving things off and on the stage during sessions... But the biggest one for me was that I also helped out at the climbing wall, holding the ropes that were these kids' safety net. And I was awed in the way they trusted me to hold onto them and catch them should they fall. And I felt so inadequate. I was scared I would drop them. That they shouldn't trust me. And yet I would have done anything to save them if they should fall. Every time I found myself shouting "You can do it Sophie! That's it, put your left foot up on the green ledge by your knee...don't be scared, I've got you! I won't let anything happen to you! I know you can't see it, but there is a place there for your foot. Let go and climb in faith that I can see it, even if you can't." I realized that often God is shouting those same words of encouragement and faith to me, and yet I am often scared to trust him.
He has the ever-secure rope, and even though I can't always see my next step, He can. I just need to listen to him encouraging me along the climb, and placing my feet and my hands where He tells me, even when I can't see the ledges.
Wise words, no?
This weekend, I went up to Spring Hill camp (44, not 39) to volunteer. I was excited about the opportunity to do something that for once had nothing to do with me. I wasn't receiving anything from this weekend except for the joy that comes from helping out a camp that does great things, and meeting the Junior Highers that would touch my heart in unspeakable ways. And, I was excited to get away from 'here', in a physical, emotional and spiritual sense, and go 'there' to have lots of time to let God speak to me, while I actually listened and spoke very little for once. :)
God really did speak to me, through the various volunteers, staff, the band sevenglory (www.sevenglory.com), and most especially, the youth leaders and 6th-8th graders I worked with both days.
I got to challenge & stretch myself too! The places I got to help were with the Skate Ramp, the Rocketball, the offering, moving things off and on the stage during sessions... But the biggest one for me was that I also helped out at the climbing wall, holding the ropes that were these kids' safety net. And I was awed in the way they trusted me to hold onto them and catch them should they fall. And I felt so inadequate. I was scared I would drop them. That they shouldn't trust me. And yet I would have done anything to save them if they should fall. Every time I found myself shouting "You can do it Sophie! That's it, put your left foot up on the green ledge by your knee...don't be scared, I've got you! I won't let anything happen to you! I know you can't see it, but there is a place there for your foot. Let go and climb in faith that I can see it, even if you can't." I realized that often God is shouting those same words of encouragement and faith to me, and yet I am often scared to trust him.
He has the ever-secure rope, and even though I can't always see my next step, He can. I just need to listen to him encouraging me along the climb, and placing my feet and my hands where He tells me, even when I can't see the ledges.
posted by Melinda @ 11:43 AM
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