Finding Rest...

 “…Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29

            Today (Saturday) I spend the morning/afternoon canoeing down the French Broad River in Asheville, NC. It was a 7 mile trip and took about 4 hours. I went with a camper and his family. It was a very peaceful trip. There were beautiful mountain views and it was a good reminder of how we too often take God’s creation for granted. As we began the trip, the noises of the road could be heard from the river, but once we got down steam, it became very peaceful and quiet.

            As I paddled down the river, I also took some time to reflect on the summer. We are at the ½ way point in the summer. I have found this summer to be the most challenging, stressful, spiritually, mentally and physically draining summer I have had thus far. God has called me to some challenging situations already and I know he has more in store for me over the next few weeks. Often times though, this is the way God works. He doesn’t call us to easy things. He also does not call us to things that we can do on our own.  

            God will call us to difficult things, seemingly impossible tasks, things that if we try to do on our own, we will fail at. We must draw our strength from the Lord when going about his work. He will ordain the work that we are doing if we trust him, but we must also trust him to provide the strength and guidance to complete the task.

            In doing this difficult work, it will often leave us drained, physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. This can certainly happen in the summer camp setting. When you are working 24/7 with little rest or break, it can become easy to be drained. We must do the basics, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and stay healthy. These things we can often do on our own and will help keep us physically in check. We will become spiritually, mentally and emotionally drained though. For that, we must seek rest in our Lord. We must turn to him because he wants to provide that rest for us. He does this because he loves us, because he knows that the work he has called us to do is impossible without his strength. He knows that we must be replenished because the work is never-ending and there is much to be done.

            We must seek that rest though. We must go to Him. He is waiting on us and ready to provide and recharge us, but we must have the willing heart to seek him. I am reminded today that I need rest, not just physical rest, but spiritual rest. I need to refocus on the assignment that God has called me to this summer. The past few days have been difficult and stressful. This break was a much needed rest to refocus and to prepare for the second half of the summer. Now it’s time to hit the ground running and seize every moment given to me to share the message of Jesus with the campers that come through the gates!

Pray without ceasing: 

1.      Pray for Will NeSmith, a camper in Session 1 who collapsed at camp due to a brain injury. He is back at the rehabilitation center in Nashville now, but he has a long road ahead of him and the recovery will be slow. Pray that his brain heals and that he is fully healed. Pray for his family that the Lord will give them strength to get through this mountain in their life. 

2.      Pray for the counselors and staff here at camp. Pray that they will seek the Lord for strength and rest to accomplish the work that is set before them this summer. 

3.      Pray that each and every one of the 250 campers this session will have an encounter with Jesus this summer. Pray that their hearts will be open to receiving Jesus and the guidance that he will provide each and every one of them this summer.