Good morning friends! I hope that you’re week has been filled with joy that only the Holy Spirit can give!
So on Monday night I started my summer at Youthfront Camp West, for those of you who know me, or who have read my blogs you know that Youthfront has been a huge influence on my life for over 7 years now. This is my second summer on staff, and I could not be more excited. However, as I was preparing for camp this year I didn’t feel like I was totally in the right mindset, I had so many things to do before camp, leave my job, pack up my apartment and move into my house for the fall, clean my apartment, pack for camp, etc. I was so stressed preparing physically for all of this that I had forgotten to prepare my heart for camp. This year because I am a returner, I am a leader (or so I’ve been told even if it doesn’t quite feel like it.) Also I am in a different position this year, which gives me more time to pour into other staff’s lives, So I knew that I would be one of the ones welcoming and encouraging the new people I knew I would be and wanted to be one of the one’s who throughout the summer talked to other staff and asked how I could be praying for them and then did it, I wanted to be able to see how and when people were struggling and find ways to encourage them. But my heart wasn’t in it yet. Maybe it was because it felt like camp came so quickly, or maybe it was the devil but either way my to do list had gotten in the way of preparing for camp spiritually.
But at the end of last week it came to my attention how quickly camp was approaching and how my heart was not there yet. So this weekend all the way to when I arrived at camp on Monday evening I found myself praying over and over, “Lord let this summer be for you, and you’re glory, let me be an encouragement to fellow staff, campers, teen staff, and parents, and above all Lord here is my heart, take it and do you’re will.” It was one of those prayers that just kind of comes out without you really thinking about it, like the Lord is speaking right through you. But as I was saying it the first time, I wanted with all of my heart for it to be true. I wanted the Lord to take my heart and do his will, no matter what that looked like. I don’t know if you’ve ever prayed a prayer like that, but it’s scary because he is God and when I say whatever, he could do literally whatever, but that goes back to last week’s blog about trusting him.
So I know probably most of you aren’t at camp right now, but I hope that wherever you are you give God you’re heart to do his will, no matter what. Because guys, he’s God so ya it’s scary to say do whatever, but his plan is so so much better than ours ever could be, so it’s gonna be great!
Love y’all!
~Noelle
startwiththesmall 