But many who are the greatest now will be
least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the
greatest then. Matthew 19.30
I was nervous and apprehensive. .
.
I’d never worked with these
people before. What if I didn’t do the
right thing? What if they didn’t like
me? What if I couldn’t understand what
they were saying? What if I messed
up? A thousand questions were running
through my head as I questioned my sanity in committing to a whole week at
camp!
It had started out as a gentle
nudge but in the last few years it had become a big push and I'd finally decided to take the plunge. I had heard about this camp and the
opportunity to serve there for a number of years before I ever considered that
God would want me to get involved.
Unfortunately for me, I have
never had the privilege of getting acquainted with a developmentally
disabled adult. I’ve had a few
interactions here and there but never the opportunity to really get to know
them. So I was really unsure how the
week would go and whether I would be ready for it.
I will never forget the first
night . . .
It was unforgettable! There was a pure
unadulterated JOY as they lifted their voices in praise to God! I began to weep as I listened to the most
beautiful singing I had ever heard in my life.
None of them could carry a tune but it didn’t matter - it was heaven
just the same. Their praise was an
expression of their simple, unquestioning faith and it was breathtaking!
All week long, these very special
men and women taught me what it looked like to love unconditionally, to praise
God from a pure heart, and to pursue what really matters in life. I thought I was going there to be a help to
them but it turned out to be just the opposite. They helped me to love better, to stop and enjoy
the simple, to let go and enjoy all that God has for me.
Then Jesus called for the children and said
to the disciples, “Let the children come to me.
Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who
are like these children. I tell you the
truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never
enter it.” Luke 18.16-17
Lord, thank you for bringing
these special people into my life to help me see You more clearly, to love You
more fully and to praise You unreservedly!
Amen.
This made me cry--at the beauty of it.
ReplyDeleteI got tears in my eyes as I was writing it. It was such a powerful moment in my life.
ReplyDeleteKristi, I'm at camp as I read this. We miss you and appreciated working with you so much! It was fun to see the pictures and reminisce. God's working in hearts this week.
ReplyDelete