I wrote this a couple of years ago after our Falls Creek week. I thought it would be a good time to share it since camp is coming up. Hope you enjoy it.
God will work in a mighty way among the hearts of people if we are willing to give Him our full attention. My wife and I went to church camp this summer at Falls Creek as sponsors. Our two daughters were part of the group of about 70. In the beginning of the week, we knew we had a great group of kids, but did not realize the baggage that many of them were carrying. Not luggage or material baggage, but emotional baggage. Some of the kids were already dealing with tough life situations, coming from broken homes or living in homes where the parents are always working. Some of them had a bitterness and emotional pain inside of them that only Jesus could heal.
The week was about focus. Our focus was on the voice of the Good Shepherd Jesus tells us about in John chapter 10. We spent hours each day in worship and under the teaching and preaching of the word of God. At first, it was hard to keep the kids attention, but before the end of the week, all of this life's distractions faded away and our entire group was focused and on fire for God. We spent our nighttime devotional in the latter part of the week giving testimonies. Adults and youth alike were boldly giving personal accounts of what Jesus has done in their lives. One night, we were starting our nightly devotional, spending time in praise, and singing. First, we did a couple of songs with motions and movements to the words; some of the kids were standing in their chairs and having a great time. Then our praise and worship leader had slowed things down a bit and was singing a very moving song about how God provides for our needs if we only come to Him in faith and love. That's when it happened! The electricity went out in the entire camp and surrounding area during that song. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face! It was total darkness. There was no buzzing sound from the lights, no humming noise from the air conditioners and no rattling sounds from the ice machine. It was silent. Amazingly, the praise and worship leader never missed a beat. The world could have been coming to an end, but it wouldn’t have mattered at that moment because our focus was on our God and savior. The kids did not scream, no one jumped up looking for candles or flashlights; we sat still in the dark and continued to praise Him. The level of worship increased ten-fold. It was as if God was saying, "you don't need all of this, My grace is sufficient for you." What a great demonstration of that truth we had the privilege to experience that night! The electricity came back on in about an hour or so but the time God gave us together that night was so moving that we turned the lights out on purpose during our night devotional time for the rest of the week. We saw God moving everyday in the hearts of the kids and sponsors as well and that was what made this week a special time for all of us.
Thank you all who support our summer activities. VBS, KBA, Falls Creek, Super Summer and other camps or programs allow for these experiences to take place in our lives. Your support in prayer, finances and volunteering to help makes all the difference.
Love to all,
Jay Johnson.
