It had been 7 years since I had been to camp. I used to go every year as a kid. I even had the privilege of going as a youth/children's pastor and once as a guest speaker. I loved summer camp. But after 7 years of not being involved, I wasn't sure what my experience would be like.
I questioned whether or not I would be able to relate to the students. I wasn't even sure I would be able to keep up with them. (South Mountain Baptist Camp has its name for a reason!) Regardless of my concerns, I still found myself driving a van full of students to the mountain where God saved my soul. I was excited and nervous and I had no idea what the Lord might do while we were there.
During one of the chapel services, I was sitting next to a student I didn't know very well. When the speaker referenced John 3:16, this student wanted to find it in his Bible. So I helped him to navigate the chapters and settle in on the right passage. He read it to himself and whispered to me, "That's really good!" After being convicted of how desensitized I am to the goodness of the Gospel, I began to wonder what the Lord was up to.
Come to find out, this student had marked that verse in his Bible. Later that week, he was talking about it with one of his good friends who came with him. I was in bed, worried about my sermon preparation, and lost in my own thoughts when our youth pastor walked in. He asked if I could come out and talk with the two students with him.
Together, we got to hear exactly what the Lord was up to. Both of those students wanted to be saved. They understood the wonderful truth of John 3:16 and wanted to follow Jesus. We had the privilege of leading them down the "Roman Road" to make sure they understood fully what they were committing to. I went back to bed, no longer concerned with the work of tomorrow. I was blessed to rest in the Gospel just as those students got to do that night.
In my life, I have seen God work powerfully at camp. God saved me on the steps of the chapel building. The Lord called me into ministry one summer while at camp. I have seen Him save and change lives over and over again. The reason He works so powerfully during these weeks is not that He is stronger on the mountain or near the beach. The reason He works so powerfully is that we are focused on Him. Our hearts and minds are open to His Word and His working by the Spirit in our lives. It is a precious thing to go to camp.
And so, friends, go to camp. Give up vacation days. Sacrifice your own summer plans. Invest your time and energy into the next generation. It will be a far cry from a vacation. You'll leave the week more exhausted than you went into it. But your soul will be better for it. And who knows? Maybe you'll be blessed with the chance to lead someone to the feet of Jesus. Maybe you'll find yourself there for the first time in a long time. Whether you have kids or grandkids there or not, go to camp.