Well camp is off and running! We had a great start yesterday, with a great service last night. Today will be the first, full, regular day of camp, and it’s going to be an exciting one!! Please be praying for a wonderful and safe day today for everyone at camp. We know that God wants to do something powerful in the life of everyone here!
We also know that God wants to do something very powerful in your life this week. You spend so much of your time taking care of your child that maybe you haven’t taken the time to truly take care of yourself. Well parent, this is your time. This is your time to slow down the pace. This is your time to push pause on the busy-ness and focus on how you’re doing. Parenting isn’t easy, and let’s be honest, it is an all-consuming, never-ending responsibility- but what a privilege and blessing at the same time, right?
In Genesis 37-44, we read about how a boy named Joseph was beaten up, sold into slavery, rose to great power, wrongly accused, thrown into prison, and finally rose back to a position of great power. We are told towards the end of the story, that his brothers came back to Joseph when he was one of the top leaders in the country. They came back, begging for food, not knowing that the person they were begging to was the brother they had beaten and sold into slavery many years prior. Joseph took advantage of the opportunity, not for vengeance, but for restoration. In Genesis 45, Joseph celebrated with his brothers by revealing who he was to them. Joseph made sure that in that critical time, he chose to be others-focused and be united with his family. That decision to choose unification took great humility and grace.
God says in 2 Chronicles 14:7, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” If we want the Lord to hear us, forgive us, and heal our land, then we have to first start with humbling ourselves. Easier said than done, right? Joseph realized that it was time to be united with others because he was united with God first. Joseph was the man in charge, but he chose to be humble rather than proud.
Parent, can you be honest and humble for a moment? How are you doing? It’s time for you to be united with God and with others. To unite with God means that you realize your need for Him. You realize that you are completely dependent on Him for your life and breath. To be united with others means that your focus is on serving them rather than yourself. Both of those things require humility. If you think more highly of yourself than you should, you won’t be united with God or others, and you’ll miss out on true fulfillment in life.
We are really hoping that your child will realize that it’s time for him/her to have a relationship with the Lord, to grow in that relationship with the Lord, and to love & serve others as Jesus did. We want the exact same for you. Parent, it’s your time. What will do with it?
Use this link to see some pictures from Day 1 of Camp: wc.org/kc24teamphotos
