Senior Session. Middle of the week. What does that mean? Exhaustion. Frustration. All the fun is catching up, at least to me. Tuesday night I'm super excited about going to bed, one more thing to do then I can rest my weary body. Bible study. We had just heard a really good sermon on sharing the Gospel with the world. During the middle of Bible study, one of the campers said, "Umm...I don't think I know exactly what the gospel is. Could some one explain it to me?"
Immediately I did not feel tired at all, and started bouncing on my bed raising my hand saying "oh! I can!" After Bible study, all the girls were going to bed and Savanna and I went outside and sat on a rock. I explained the Gospel to her as simply as I could. Savanna is fourteen years old. Plenty old enough to understand and take responsibility for her sins. I could see the point her eyes lit up and she seemed to really understand what I was saying. She asked me to pray for her, and said she wanted to think about all of this. Then, she went to bed, simple as that. Wednesday comes. Worst day of the whole summer. I don't even know why it was so bad. Everything was just annoying and exhausting that day. Supper was two hours late, a little on the burnt side, and mostly gone by the time I got through the line. At supper, I learned I wasn't the only miserable one. Other counselors were having a super bad day too. Finally, we got to Vespers late, but the sermon was great that night. Really refreshing after a bad day. As soon as it ended, I was ready to go straight to bed. Didn't want to talk to anyone or do anything but sleep. When I got back to the cabin, I learned that Savanna realized that she needed to become a Christian. We, along with the two counselors in my cabin went out to the girls bonfire area. We talked for a while about what it meant to be a Christian and about her family life. That night, under the beautiful stars, she committed her life to Christ.
I tried so hard to get girls interested in the Gospel all the days leading up to that one. Nothing ever seemed to work. The one day (/week) I was tired of trying, frustrated, too tired to care was the day God chose to work. It doesn't matter how good we are at sharing the Gospel. It doesn't matter how much we feel like doing Kingdom work. God is sovereign over salvation and can use even the weakest vessels!
The next morning at staff Bible study, I heard an almost identical story from one of the counselors who I had been complaining with the day before! One of her campers came to Jesus the night before as well.
Here are some of the, extremely appropriate, verses we read in bible study that day:
"Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled. My steps had nearly slipped. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing I desire on earth besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
(selections from Psalm 73)
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