Unexpected change
I started the week with 20 lively girls and 3 awesome co-counselors. I started connecting immediately with most of the girls and Monday afternoon had a great conversation with two of the girls about God, living life for Him, things we are looking forward to about heaven, how to share our faith with others, and other things. One of them thanked me repeatedly and said God must have set that conversation up because she really needed it. The other one mostly just listened and I could tell she was processing everything the other girl and I said. Later that night after the gospel presentation she went forward to say she had just trusted in Christ as her Savior along with 7 of our other girls!!! Our God is awesome! :)
Tuesday morning we started going about our regular activities, but then I was told by my Unit Leader, Emily, that I was being switched to a different cabin because one of the counselors was in the hospital. My heart sank a little bit because I had connected so well with my other girls and loved them all so much, but I knew I needed to have a right heart attitude about it. They said I could take my Quiet Time before meeting them at lunch time and I'm so thankful I got to spend that time with the Lord pouring out my feelings to Him and asking Him to help me make the transition easily. Just before going to move my stuff to the other cabin I pulled all the girls around me and told them what was happening. They were all sad and swarmed me with hugs which made me tear up as I walked away from them. I wasted some time sobbing on a bed before forcing myself to pack. After getting help moving my stuff to the other cabin I had my one-on-one with Emily and then met my new cabin at lunch. It was almost polar opposite from my other cabin, this one only had 8 quiet girls and one other co-counselor. God gave me His love and patience for my new girls and helped me pour into them for the rest of the week, but instead of going from 20 girls down to 8, it felt more like I went from 20 up to 28 because I loved all of them, got hugs from them whenever they could, talked to most of them about how their week was going and asked them what they were learning. God answered my heartfelt plea for help in making the transition and being able to love all of them.
Wednesday night after the dedication service and Thursday morning's Quiet Time were my two other favorite parts of the week because of the group conversations we had and getting to hear the girls hearts. Wednesday night I had them all go around in a circle and tell me what the dedication service meant to them and most of them mentioned being a better witness for God around their friends. One of them mentioned her unsaved friend that she had a desire to see trust Christ as her own, personal Savior, this touched me in two ways. One is simply because I love hearing young people's desire to see others trust Christ as their Savior, second, it reminded me of what the dedication service had meant to me. I had also been reminded and convicted of how I need to do better at sharing my faith with others, saved and unsaved alike. Thursday morning's Quiet Time passage was Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither to people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, they they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." We had another great conversation between all of us about how we need to be sharing our faith with everyone around us. I used the illustration of a sponge and milk. We are the sponge and God is pouring into us, but unless we squeeze the 'milk' out by sharing our faith with others, then we will turn sour (or our faith because dead). The girls loved the illustration and were really challenged to go home and share their faith with their friends and family.
I wish I could tell you everything else about this week, but I need to go get some sleep so I can finish this last week strong. Next weekend is graduation and I get to not only see my family, but come home with them!!!!! That means my next post will probably not be up next Saturday, but do not worry, it will come... (or you could just ask me in person, if you get the chance to see me). :)
Tuesday morning we started going about our regular activities, but then I was told by my Unit Leader, Emily, that I was being switched to a different cabin because one of the counselors was in the hospital. My heart sank a little bit because I had connected so well with my other girls and loved them all so much, but I knew I needed to have a right heart attitude about it. They said I could take my Quiet Time before meeting them at lunch time and I'm so thankful I got to spend that time with the Lord pouring out my feelings to Him and asking Him to help me make the transition easily. Just before going to move my stuff to the other cabin I pulled all the girls around me and told them what was happening. They were all sad and swarmed me with hugs which made me tear up as I walked away from them. I wasted some time sobbing on a bed before forcing myself to pack. After getting help moving my stuff to the other cabin I had my one-on-one with Emily and then met my new cabin at lunch. It was almost polar opposite from my other cabin, this one only had 8 quiet girls and one other co-counselor. God gave me His love and patience for my new girls and helped me pour into them for the rest of the week, but instead of going from 20 girls down to 8, it felt more like I went from 20 up to 28 because I loved all of them, got hugs from them whenever they could, talked to most of them about how their week was going and asked them what they were learning. God answered my heartfelt plea for help in making the transition and being able to love all of them.
Wednesday night after the dedication service and Thursday morning's Quiet Time were my two other favorite parts of the week because of the group conversations we had and getting to hear the girls hearts. Wednesday night I had them all go around in a circle and tell me what the dedication service meant to them and most of them mentioned being a better witness for God around their friends. One of them mentioned her unsaved friend that she had a desire to see trust Christ as her own, personal Savior, this touched me in two ways. One is simply because I love hearing young people's desire to see others trust Christ as their Savior, second, it reminded me of what the dedication service had meant to me. I had also been reminded and convicted of how I need to do better at sharing my faith with others, saved and unsaved alike. Thursday morning's Quiet Time passage was Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither to people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, they they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." We had another great conversation between all of us about how we need to be sharing our faith with everyone around us. I used the illustration of a sponge and milk. We are the sponge and God is pouring into us, but unless we squeeze the 'milk' out by sharing our faith with others, then we will turn sour (or our faith because dead). The girls loved the illustration and were really challenged to go home and share their faith with their friends and family.
I wish I could tell you everything else about this week, but I need to go get some sleep so I can finish this last week strong. Next weekend is graduation and I get to not only see my family, but come home with them!!!!! That means my next post will probably not be up next Saturday, but do not worry, it will come... (or you could just ask me in person, if you get the chance to see me). :)
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