June Update!

June 11, 2006

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”- 2 Corinthians 4:16

It’s nearly the middle of June. Do you know what that means? It means that this morning I left summer camp, waving at my youth group as they pulled out of the lot. It means that I am headed to a pre-General Assembly gathering in Birmingham, the Higher Education SUMMIT. It means that I have a church council report due on Monday. It means that in three weeks I’ll be back in VA for a bit, helping lead an “Out of Sight!” middle school conference. It means in two months I’ll be living in Kentucky. It means that my life is under renovation.

Renovate is the 2006 theme at the Warren Willis UM Summer Camp. All week we talked about different ways that we could renovate the journey of our lives-through prayer, service, community, etc. One of the things I love most about camp is that you leave with a definitive feeling of renovation and renewal. Christ is alive and you want to shout it out! You’ve just spent six days dancing and singing at the top of your lungs, canoeing, skating, and learning about our Savior. But what happens when you pull out of the parking lot? What happens when reality steps in and the everyday temptations are back, full-fledged into your life? What do you do?

This evening I was struck with this familiar feeling while sitting in a place I don’t frequently go: the mall. Looking around at the crowds and the consumerism, I wished I was back at camp. I needed to do something. But what do I do? Well, naturally, I called my mom, and while that helped, I still felt like something wasn’t quite right. Then it hit me like a 2X4 over the head. Duh, you need to pray. I needed alone time; I needed to be with God. I needed to sort out those feelings with the One who already knew them! It’s about taking the time for Him that He takes for you. If life were summer camp, we’d all have it easy (if we were campers, that is). It’s comfortable. There’s people there we know share similar beliefs that we do: Jesus is our common denominator. The startling news is that our faith isn’t meant to be easy. Praying, serving, and simply being a part of a community is not easy. After all, God promises a safe arrival, not an easy flight.

This afternoon I tried to debrief camp a bit and take a look at the renovations that need to occur in my own life. These aren’t just the obvious ones, like moving, or going back to school, but the spiritual ones. When something is happening in my life, it is not others that I should run to, but to my Maker, the One who knows my ins and outs. The One who loves me despite what it is I come to Him with. How hard is it to be slapped in the face with reality? Well, obviously, it’s ridiculously hard! Yet when we walk into the ‘real world’, God doesn’t stay at camp. He’s everywhere! We are reminded of this by the hug of the Spirit that we are wrapped in! A familiar hymn comes to mind which says: “He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me, and talks with me, along life’s narrow way!” How true!

I need to remind myself daily of the renovation that Christ is working in me, and how I can’t simply sit back, relax, and wait for it to happen. The renovation starts NOW, it starts when you take the time to read the Bible, pray to God, and serve His kingdom. Take the time to recognize the renovation, live into the grace, and take on the world through your faith.

Check out the Miami Volunteers Pictures at: http://community.webshots.com/user/miamiyavs

Peace,

Emily