Stephanie and I just got back from a camp for 7 to 12 year olds where we were counselors for the whole week. It's great to be back sleeping in my bed, but it was very worth the time that was invested into these young lives.
I'm posting from my friend's blog a entry that he made concerning the camp. He said it so well, I have no need to add anything further right now.
Lessons From Camp
Brandy and I just finished a week at Royal Family Kids Camp. This is a camp that we have participated in for the past three years. The camp ministers to kids 6-11 who have been victims of abuse and are now in the foster system in some capacity. It was once again an amazing week. I always leave this camp having a renewed understanding of why the book of James says that religion that is acceptable to God is to take care of widows and orphans and to keep oneself from being contaminated by this world.
I could write about so many lessons about life, about love, and about God that God taught me this week through these kids. You may be reading about several of these lessons in upcoming blogs. The lesson that I want to talk about today deals with the Father's attention.
On Thursday I found myself sitting under a tree on the ground watching a ten year old boy blow bubbles. Not just any bubbles but very large bubbles with a large wand that he would dip in a bowl and then wave through the air. I know this does not sound very exciting and to be honest it wasn't. But I sat there with my full attention given to this young boy saying things like, "wow that's amazing" and "that's the biggest bubble I have ever seen." I wasn't really 'that' impressed but I wanted to let this boy know that he had my attention and to praise him every chance I got. Every time that he made a bubble he would look my way to hear my comment. If he messed up and the bubble burst before he could fully form it, he would look my way wondering what my reaction would be. I would simply say, "thats ok you will get this next one." This young boy acted as though he had never had a father that had been so totally engrossed and attentive to his actions. You could tell he was eating it up and soaked in the praise.
It was during this time that the Spirit softly spoke to me again. He said, "This is the same attention that your heavenly Father gives you." At first I thought to myself that God has better things to be attentive to than my bubble making. Then again the Spirit spoke to me and said, "this is why it is so important for earthly fathers to take the time to give full attention to their child's 'bubble making' so they will understand the love of the heavenly Father which is so much greater than the love of an earthly father." If an earthly father knows how to give attention to his child, how much more does the heavenly Father know how to give attention to His child.
So the next time you find yourself caught up in the mundane and ordinary 'bubble making' take time to look over at your heavenly Father and you just might hear him say 'well done, that was amazing."
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