As I write my article this week I am in the hills of southeastern Okla homa. I am just outside of Talihina at Kiamichi Baptist Assembly. It is their first week of camp and it is youth week. We got here Monday and will stay until Friday.
It has been a great week. The temperatures have been unbelievably mild. Monday was a hot day but the rest of the week has been in the upper 70’s or lower 80’s. There have been some clouds and some sun mixed in as well.
Camp is ALWAYS exciting as well as challenging. Exciting as we see youth connect with God and Jesus for the first time or reconnect after wandering or getting caught up with the things in life that take you away from them.
The food is always good, the games are always fun, the water is always wet and the nights are always long…real long. As a matter of fact, it is 11 p.m. as I write this. The day starts early and ends late. Monday night it was after 1 a.m. before the guys wound down to begin their slumber. Tuesday was the same thing.
One of my jobs at camp (along with being the Pastor) is to help with the cooking. I take my Blackstone grill and cook some of the food outside. I cook bacon, sausage, eggs and pancakes for breakfast. For lunch I cook hamburgers and hot dogs. Then for supper I grill chicken or whatever else can be grilled.
Breakfast is the hardest. Why? Well, when you don’t get to bed until after one and up at 6, it makes for a really long day. I am so tired right now.
To add to the fatigue, we walk everywhere we go. We walk to the tabernacle. We walk to the rec field for games. We walk to the basketball courts. We walk to the volleyball courts. We walk to the waterslide and canoes. We walk to the gift shop and snak shak. And then, just for fun, we go walking during our free time.
So, walking everywhere we go, playing the games, going to the services, cooking the meals and lack of sleep….Yeah I am SOOOOO tired.
In John 4, Jesus left Judea and went to Samaria stopping at the city of Sycar. Don’t miss what He did next. He sent His disciples to town to buy food and He sat down by the well “wearied from his journey.” Did you catch it? He was tired and sat down to rest. But that is not the best part. His rest was interrupted.
He was tired. He sat down to catch His breath, take a breather, refresh Himself. Then a woman comes along (and a woman of questionable character, too) and He takes time to talk with her. Jesus could have just pretended to be sleeping and not engage her. He could have said nothing as she was a Samaritan and He was a Jew. Or, He could have just got up and moved elsewhere. After all He was tired and needed the rest.
But that was not what He did. Jesus just simply asked for a drink of water and before it was over gave the woman an opportunity for eternal life. And it didn’t stop there. Jesus ended up staying in the village for two more days. Many of the people from the village believed and found eternal life, also. All because Jesus was tired, looking for a chance to rest but took the opportunity to tell others about God.
I am tired but it is the opportunity to see teenagers come to a personal relationship with God that keeps me going. I get to see some kids make a change in their lives. I get to see young people commit their lives to God and surrender to serve Him with their lives in ministry, mission or music.
Youth camp is only for a week. I will be able to go home and rest after it is over. I can sleep a little later in the mornings, maybe take a couple naps in the afternoon or go to bed early Friday night, but, to see someone find forgiveness of sins, rediscover how much God loves them or decide they want to be a servant of God is priceless and sometimes once in a lifetime. Maybe I’m not that tired after all.
Staying Up Late With The Kids, Bro. Tim
