The CV Chronicles: Last week

 So I’ve been here at CV for five weeks now. WOW. Time has flown. I’m half way through my time here. God has worked in so many miraculous ways this summer. Sometimes I am awestruck as I consider that the Lord would allow me to come to a such a wonderful place as this. Then I think about the fact that God has granted me access to His very presence in heaven when I die, and then I’m really awestruck.

My Pastor was the speaker this week. I cannot tell you how blessed I am to have this man as my Pastor. He and his family have blessed me immensely these past two years. He is constantly encouraging, rebuking and instructing me. He never hesitates to point me toward Christ. It was so encouraging having Him, His family; one of our deacons and 7 other kids from our church come to camp this week. I had 5 girls from my church, plus my youngest niece in my cabin this week. I was so happy to see them.  The week went by so fast, but it was such a blessing to me. I loved ministering to the girls from my church, I love all of them and I consider it such a privilege to lead them.

Truly, truly I say to you, if there is one thing I have learned at CV this summer it’s my complete inadequacy as a counselor. But God has placed “this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us”. What that verse is talking about when it says earthen vessels, its talking about simple, breakable clay pots, used for everyday things, nothing special. And God has said that he uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God has also told us that when we are weak, he is strong. And I will tell you friends; I am weak, so weak.  If there is any act of kindness that I do, anything godly that escapes my mouth, it is the Lord. In and of myself, I am worthless. But Christ is worthy, so worthy. 

If I were to name this period of my walk with God I would title it ‘running for my life’

To a degree, because I am literally always running. One thing about camp, it keeps you very active. (Which is kinda nice cause then you can enjoy all of Ms. Barb’s great cooking without fear haha). But mostly because living here is like living in a spiritual green house. I have seen my complete inadequacy and so I run to Christ. I run to Christ everyday.

Everyday I stand amazed at the abundant grace poured out on this unworthy sinner. 

This has truly been the best summer of my life. Everyday there is a new blessing from God, a new surprise and new challenge. Someone new to encourage in the faith, some to share the gospel with, someone to serve. It goes on and on. 

Saturdays at CV are really special. It’s a time to rejuvenate, catch up on sleep and connect with the staff.

 

This Saturday after taking a lovely nap, I went with some of the other staff to Florala (a little town about 15 minutes from camp) and went to the big lake there to go swimming. It was so pleasant. It reminded me a lot of my childhood. I challenged one of the guys to a race. I love racing in swimming, it’s honestly the only athletic competition I can even be competitive in. Unfortunately, He beat me 3 times! Granted, it was really close and He is a foot taller then me (well 6 inches). But still, I told Him that we’ll have to do a rematch when he get’s back from Laos.

Then we had a staff event. We ate dinner together and then played a game of softball. One of the guys helped me learn to catch and throw and Amy showed me how to hold a bat. Everyone here is so helpful, I am so incompetent so frequently, but everyone pitches in (pun intended) to show me how to be better. I managed to hit and get on base both times I got to bat! It was so much fun.  It’s so fun to learn how to play sports. I never did much as a kid because I was to out of shape and to involved in other things.  Then I played golf for the first time in the horse pasture! (Only in Alabama Haha, and no none of hit any of the horses). Afterwards we had ice cream and we had an outdoor movie. We watched captain America.

Now if you know me, you know I love watching a good superhero movie. I’ll have to say that the new captain America movie is one of my favorites. I was thinking this as I was watching the movie: Everybody is waiting for a hero to come in and rescue him or her. I think that’s why movies like this are so popular. We long for a good guy, someone who puts others first and will lay down his life for what He believes in. Inwardly we groan for redemption from sin and death.  Now for those of us who have found the Lord, we realize that our hero has come and he has rescued us. You see, we often focus on relief from our circumstances to be the point of our rescue, however Christ has shown us that, in fact our circumstances are usually the least of our problems. Our biggest is problem is our sin that has offended a Holy, Righteous and Just God, who will not let the guilty go unpunished.

So as I was watching the movie tonight I was asking myself “Sarah Jo, what kind of woman are you going to be? Many men will lay down their life for the sake of other lives. Will you lay down you life for the sake of others’ souls? Will you follow Christ no matter where He leads? Are you willing to go to battle for the sake of the gospel? How much is the gospel worth to you? Is it worth the loss of your dreams of a family; is it worth the lost of your comforts and pleasures, the loss of your friends and family? What kind of woman will you turn out to be Sarah Jo?