I will admit, it has been more difficult than usual to find the correct words for this blog. Words that I felt to be true and honest. The truth is, this week is one of the hardest for me. After the excitement of camp and having people around, the silence of this week is often deafening. It is in this week when I ask myself lots of questions--what is the next step for The Hidden Place? Where is God leading us? What more does He have for us to do? It's a week filled with prayer, a week filled with emotions, and a week filled with longing--a longing for this, and my life to make a true difference for His Kingdom.
The theme for camp #4 was "Not Home Yet"--which was birthed from a personal place. You see, as much as the last 6 months have been filled with excitement and joy in my own life, the lives of people around me seem to have been filled with pain and tragedy. I found myself broken over the loss of people in the community where I was raised. And not only that, but broken for the people who loved them. I've been broken over accidents and illnesses which affected the children in Alex which I have come to know and love. It's seems like all around me people are hurting. In those moments of brokenness, God reminded me that the only true hope we have as people is found in Him and a life with Him. "Not Home Yet" sought to be about how as believers we do not belong in this world, which is why we often experience pain and loss and hurt and loneliness. God had something different in mind, a world where we could walk in perfect communion with Him, but we messed that up in the garden. And nothing has been the same since.
With that being said, I didn't want it to be an "accept Jesus so you can get to heaven" kind of deal. You see, if heaven just for the sake of heaven is the goal, we've got it wrong. Our hearts should desire heaven because of the presence of God. The fact that we will get to one day sit around His throne in awe of Him, singing praises to Him without distraction--that is what I wanted these kids to know. And I can tell you, it was amazing to see. To see kids asking questions and wanting Jesus--not just what He could give them, was incredible.
Here is my personal struggle--the inbetween. I'm incredibly thankful for the promise of being at home with God one day. However, I have to remember that I'm here for a reason. You see, I have the opportunity to experience God now. I have the opportunity to talk with Him and love Him and live for Him now--that isn't something I have to wait for. But more than than, I've been commanded to love like Jesus loved. To care for the orphans and the widows, to make His name known to people who have never heard it. I've been commanded (not asked) to love my neighbour as myself, no matter who that neighbour happens to be.
You see, as Christians we can't just walk through this world longing for our future home. We must walk through it differently than other people--making the most of every day, and experiencing God now. Let us not get caught up in either extreme; rather, let us live in the in-between, living for God today, experiencing God today, loving people today, while clinging to the promise of our future home with Him.
The theme for camp #4 was "Not Home Yet"--which was birthed from a personal place. You see, as much as the last 6 months have been filled with excitement and joy in my own life, the lives of people around me seem to have been filled with pain and tragedy. I found myself broken over the loss of people in the community where I was raised. And not only that, but broken for the people who loved them. I've been broken over accidents and illnesses which affected the children in Alex which I have come to know and love. It's seems like all around me people are hurting. In those moments of brokenness, God reminded me that the only true hope we have as people is found in Him and a life with Him. "Not Home Yet" sought to be about how as believers we do not belong in this world, which is why we often experience pain and loss and hurt and loneliness. God had something different in mind, a world where we could walk in perfect communion with Him, but we messed that up in the garden. And nothing has been the same since.
With that being said, I didn't want it to be an "accept Jesus so you can get to heaven" kind of deal. You see, if heaven just for the sake of heaven is the goal, we've got it wrong. Our hearts should desire heaven because of the presence of God. The fact that we will get to one day sit around His throne in awe of Him, singing praises to Him without distraction--that is what I wanted these kids to know. And I can tell you, it was amazing to see. To see kids asking questions and wanting Jesus--not just what He could give them, was incredible.
Here is my personal struggle--the inbetween. I'm incredibly thankful for the promise of being at home with God one day. However, I have to remember that I'm here for a reason. You see, I have the opportunity to experience God now. I have the opportunity to talk with Him and love Him and live for Him now--that isn't something I have to wait for. But more than than, I've been commanded to love like Jesus loved. To care for the orphans and the widows, to make His name known to people who have never heard it. I've been commanded (not asked) to love my neighbour as myself, no matter who that neighbour happens to be.
You see, as Christians we can't just walk through this world longing for our future home. We must walk through it differently than other people--making the most of every day, and experiencing God now. Let us not get caught up in either extreme; rather, let us live in the in-between, living for God today, experiencing God today, loving people today, while clinging to the promise of our future home with Him.
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