I Am With You

But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.

Isaiah 43: 1-2a

The theme for this summer is I Am With You. It focuses on the theme verse above. What a great comfort we have in knowing that God is with us, in the good times and even the bad times. Many times at camp, it’s easy to see God and feel his presence. When you are surrounded by fellow co-workers and kids who are passionate about Christ and learning about him, it’s sometimes easier to feel God near you.

We all know too well that there are times in our lives when we feel like the presence of Jesus is absent. Maybe it’s during the death of a loved one or disaster. Maybe it’s watching someone close to struggle with personal problems. Whatever that low in our life may be Jesus can sometimes feel absent. The scripture is clear though. He is with us. He has called us by name and we are his, through the good and the bad.

We have really great kids that come through camp this summer. Each kid comes with different gifts and talents; they also come with different baggage. Through these kids at camp, you can see the brokenness that has come into this world. Through this brokenness, these kids are at different stages in their life. No matter where each kid is at, I think the theme for this summer is applicable to all. For many of these kids, this is just what then need to hear, whether they are already following Christ or they are still looking for those answers.

The summer is almost at that halfway point. It’s hard to believe that it is going by this quickly but at the same there, there is so much more ahead. I pray that there will be many more opportunities to show Jesus to these kids, after all that is what we are here for. I pray that my kids will stay safe and will have the time of their lives this summer.