Welcome back! I am extremely excited about what I have planned for the blog this summer, because I am going to give myself a break from intense research and studying. While I did love the Churches in the New Testament series, and loved digging deep into all of Paul’s church letters, my circumstances since then have dramatically changed. This summer, I am working at a Christian summer camp. You will be hearing more about this over the next few months, and a lot today, but as excited as I am for it, this means that I will have significantly less time to invest in Authentic Faith over the summer.
Because of this, as well as the extreme amount of transitions I have in my life currently, I have decided to make a new series. This is going to look a lot like my Authentic Life Updates, for those of you that are regular readers, because I will be talking about what has been happening in my life, how I feel about it, and how God is using it to shape my life journey. Between graduation, new jobs, and starting college in the fall, I have a lot to write about. Because of the personal nature of this series, I hope to inspire the audience that I originally created this blog for: teenage girls. Whether you are in the same boat as me, and trying to transition from high school to college life, or you are someone younger that is struggling with the fear of the future, I hope my vulnerability will put you at ease, and that me writing about the Lord’s goodness in my life will help you trust his beautiful plan for your life.
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I want to open this series up with what feels the most relevant to me at the moment, and that is summer camp. In exactly twenty-four hours from when I am writing this, I will be leaving for the first day of staff training week. From there, I will be spending the nine out of the next ten weeks living there from Sunday to Friday, where I will be a camp counselor.
On one hand, this is exciting. This camp has a very special place in my heart, and I know that God has been building me up for this summer for the last seven years. I have been heavily involved in summers past, and love the staff with all of my heart. This place taught me how to talk with those that are different from me, how to lead my peers, and how to meet people where they are to show them the love of Christ. Being a counselor gives me a front-row seat to see how God moves, and I will be getting countless opportunities to introduce young girls to the joy and freedom that Jesus Christ brings.
However, I am also scared. I love knowing what is going to happen at all times, so going into a summer where I do not yet know exactly what will be happening definitely makes me nervous. In addition, I feel like everyone can relate when I say that doing something for the first time is never without its nerves. Even though I am extremely comfortable with the camp, and have been familiar with it for years, I am stepping into a different role than in previous years, which means new experiences and responsibilities.
For a while, this fear controlled me. I quickly spiraled and imagined all of the worst-case scenarios: a camper getting seriously injured, me doing my job wrong, or me going through the summer without a close friend at camp that I can confide in. While all of these things are of course possible, I have since learned to take a step back and 1.) recognize that just because something is possible does not mean that it is at all likely and 2.) trust that no matter what happens, the Lord has a plan for me.
Even in the midst of all of this fear, the one thing that provides me comfort is knowing for certain that this is where God has placed me. Not only has he been prepping my heart for years to serve at this camp, but he has also opened doors to give me the ability and availability to serve here for the full summer. The decision to work here happened after lots of prayer, and I did not apply until I felt complete peace about what I was about to do. Because of this, I am able to rest my fears aside and trust in the plan that the Lord has for me.
When God puts us in a certain situation or environment, he always does it so that we can grow our relationship with Christ, and so that we can continue to build his kingdom. Sometimes, the place that God puts us is a place of joy, belonging, and harvest, and we feel like we never want to leave. However, it is important to understand that God will, at times, put us in a place that seems awful and sad. I know, I know, that seems backwards, but the Lord always knows what we need, and sometimes we need a wake-up call. In my own life, I have experienced times where I became too comfortable in my spiritual life, and God had to put me in a new environment that tested and challenged me to make me seek him first again.
Knowing both of these things, I have begun to feel more comfortable about the next step I am about to take in life. I know that no matter what happens this summer, God put me here for a reason. I am excited to get out of my comfort zone to make new friends, learn how to connect with girls, and let the Lord work in and through me to complete his good work. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The more I write, the more peace I feel about leaving for camp. This experience will challenge me physically and spiritually, and will definitely test how deep my relationship with Christ really is, but I am grateful that God is choosing to use me as a vessel to show kids the love that Jesus Christ has.
Over the next few months, keep me in your prayers as I start this exciting new season of life. By the time you read this, I will already have two weeks of camp under my belt, and I cannot wait to see what happens in that period of time.
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