You Live & You Learn

"I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned,
In awe of the One who gave it all."

While I have been at camp, I have had the opportunity to learn about fear. I encountered fear five minutes after leaving home as I made my way towards camp. I wondered about what God had in store for me this summer. How would I make friends in such a short period of time? Would I understand everything my job entailed and be able to accomplish everything I had planned out in my heart for campers? Following each question brought about an anticipation of fear. 

Towards the end of each week, my campers and I reflect upon our own personal fears of returning to the "real world." You see, the place I have been living in for over two months is a type of community I wish existed throughout our great country. Being among God's greatest creations, I have accumulated the fear of returning to my usual life. This is a fear I have shed many tears over throughout the summer, but as we prepare for our final week here at camp I feel a sense of serenity and peace.

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." Psalm 34:4-7

In this verse from Psalm, we are reminded of how God hears us and answers us when we call upon Him. When we look upon the Lord, our spirits are uplifted and we see the light He shines upon us and our lives. We serve a mighty God who attends to our questions and speaks to us in distinctive ways. When fear strikes, take a second to call upon God and ask for courage and peace to succumb the fear. Our worries and anxieties at time can pile up because we aren't taking the time to talk to God. This is something I learned during my second semester of sophomore year, and being here at camp has provided me with the tools to fight my fears alongside the Lord. 

Here's to my final week at camp, and to the best summer I have ever had in my entire life. Thanks be to God for this incredible opportunity to serve Him throughout this summer and for all His people He has introduced me to along the way. I will never be the same. 

"Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?"

With Love & Laughter, 

Alison