Me, Jesus and The Log at Camp

Went to a Girls In Action overnight event at a local camp with my youngest, Sophia.  Camp brings back many memories for me...attending Camp Carson as a 3rd grader with one of my sweetest life-long friends.  We had never been away from home that long, didn't know how to showers in a dormitory-style place...guess what?  Didn't take a shower because we were embarrassed with older girls and getting in the shower made my friend very homesick.  Didn't kill us and created grown-up laughing memories. So this event evoked memories and even songs. It reminded me of when I worked as a counselor for three summers and those days were part of my experiencing and discerning who God is and what He means to me.  In fact my first time to lead a group devotion occurred on the banks of the river in West Tennessee. Proverbs 3:5-6 became a wonderful expression of my faith.  I had no idea the foreshadowing into the grown-up life I would experience.

So on the bus we went, all the GA's and their moms.  Camp fire, smores, "Sin"box skit (that will date ya!), playing in the creek and paddling in a canoe. Well I didn't canoe...thanks Miss Jill for allowing Sophia to experience this part of camp.  LOL!  During the campfire, sitting next to a mom that I had grown-up with in Morristown, we laughed at how uncoordinated we were in songs like "Row Row Row Your Boat" and "Bingo" ~ we felt old as we stood up/down to the tunes of our campfire magic while trying not to "roll" the log backwards as we stayed in beat with the music.  Really we were the comedy.

But the girls didn't even notice.  They were in the moment...stars, fire, marshmallows and singing. Sophia even volunteered to lead a song with sign language...I was shocked b/c she didn't know the sign language but her courageous spirit lead any inhibitions I was most concerned about. In the middle of Miss Jill's devotion, Sophia leaned near me and said "Mama, this fire reminds me of God.  I just love Him.  This is great and I want to come here every year." At that moment I thought of how simple God's love is...

Where did my love for him go?  Why is it so contingent on external things?  External entitlements?  External demands and expectations?  As we grow older, we are missing some of those Jesus moments  b/c we fussing about how it all got planned or didn't get planned.  Or dwelling on the intentions of the request   We miss Jesus.  He is often in those spur of the moment venues...often in the unexpected...often in the unplanned.  When we finally get our act together or our "stuff" in order, the party is over.  Jesus is moving onto the next party.  A great reminder to what is valued?

Create in me Lord a pure heart that desires you mostly! A heart that is flexible and willing to bend and not be in control.  A little spontaneity so I might experience the mysteries of the One who created me... the One who told the ocean where to begin/end and grows life out of death.