The biggest way that camp has affected me is in my faith and my walk with the Lord. For me, this past summer he led me ever so gently with much more grace than I deserve, all because he loves me.
I was sitting with a few staff on our evening off and the topic of conversation turned to me and what I was planning on doing with my life. I didn’t have very concrete answers and that topic stresses me out.
Eventually the topic changed, so I was sitting back and was glad that the attention was off me. Then a fellow staff member gave me a head-tilt chin-lift, which was non-verbal communication for “come here.”
So we went off a little ways from the rest of the group and she asked me what was wrong and if I was okay. We discussed why I get so worried about what the future is going to bring and she shared with me Philippians 4:6-7, which says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”
It was exactly what I needed to hear. Then we talked about another verse, Romans 8:38-39: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. . . .”
It was one of those refreshing conversations that you have when you need to get something off your chest or just need a bit of encouragement. That night God and I had a good chat.
Next morning I went to Quest, our staff devotion, where we were given slips of paper that had different reflections on them. At the bottom of mine was Romans 8:38. I smiled and my co-worker looked at me. It was one of those moments that you say, “God, you are so cool.”
The next week, our camp pastor pulled out the memory verse and it was Philippians 4:7!
Every time God speaks to me, it surprises me. It shouldn’t, because he’s God. But it does, and I always feel so loved and at the same time undeserving. That’s what I mean when I say that God led me ever so gently last summer with much more grace than I deserved. Just because he loves me.
Emily Lantz served as a camp counsellor at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp, New Hamburg, Ont.
--Posted Feb. 26, 2014
On a hot day, camper Owen Crouse discovers there is nothing like a dip in the pond at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp, near New Hamburg, Ont.
Megan Anderson, a camper at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp, paints the face of her counsellor, Rachel Ruby, for a ‘counsellor competition.’
Add new comment
Canadian Mennonite invites comments and encourages constructive discussion about our content. Actual full names (first and last) are required. Comments are moderated and may be edited. They will not appear online until approved and will be posted during business hours. Some comments may be reproduced in print.