Flashback to Camp Meeting

(Because I haven't gotten the chance to write this until now...)

Saturday night the 28th of June found me trudging back to the dorm with tears in my eyes. I always get nostalgic at the end of camp meeting. It gets worse as the years go by as each experience builds on the other. I have been blessed to be able to go to the same camp meeting every year of my life. I always want to learn something new each year and I always expect to learn something. And Jesus never lets me down.

Saturday night as I trudged to the dorm I was disappointed with how the week had ended. It had been such a wonderful time. I had been challenged, inspired, and motivated to walk closer to Jesus. And then it ended. Suddenly over.

Near the dorm where I was staying the primary tent was set up. As I neared the dorm I heard the sound of children's voices singing. They were singing praise songs in the primary tent. I stood in the darkness and listened to them and joy filled me. The week of camp meeting may have been over but it comforted me to know that the ministry of camp meeting was going on. Camp meeting has been such a blessing through the years in my life. Hearing those children singing those songs like I did years ago assured me that as long as camp meeting continued, the blessing would be passed on.

Camp meeting is a piece of Heaven on earth. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. This year was particularly wonderful and I was so blessed to be able to experience it once again. This year the emphasis was on the Holy Spirit. I was really convicted as to the nearness of Jesus' coming. And am once again questioning where my life is going. Come a year from now I will have to choose a direction. Am I living for myself or am I living for Jesus? If I knew Jesus was coming in 2 years would I change what I plan on doing? If so, why am I not living like that anyway? Should that not be the way we should be living? We also spent a good amount of time at Camp Meeting studying spiritual gifts. That is something I "know" a lot about but rarely think of during normal life. I want to develop my gifts more. Camp is a good opportunity for that. And come the school year Bekah and I are going to have a schedule of prayer topics. Spiritual gifts is going to be included in that. I am excited.

After I had trudged back to the dorm and packed a bit, for some reason 15 minutes later I found myself walking back out of the dorm. I had no reason to go back out. I should have been getting in bed. However, I found myself back in the large tent looking for Bekah who was helping her dad. As I walked in to the tent I saw 3 new friends we had met at camp meeting walking in to the tent looking for us- to pray together before leaving. I don't believe it was a coincidence. We joined hands in a circle and prayed together. I cried again. But this time they were tears of gratitude and joy. God truly understands the needs of our hearts.