If you’re feeling like life hit harder than you were expecting after camp, you’re not alone. The fight came from places I wasn’t expecting—Satan hits below the belt—and I was losing. I was grumbling and cranky and not in any mood to be anything different, so I was whining to Jesus about life at home being completely different than life at camp when He turned my whining into a question;
How is life at camp different than life at home?
“Well....” I thought, “for one, there’s no awesome worship service every morning...” and I felt Him whisper, “Do you need an outdoor chapel to worship Me every morning?”...I’ve started to be able to recognize when God is making a point. So the rest of our time that day was spent answering the question, “How can we bring ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ home from camp?”
Here’s a rough answer:
1) Start every day with worship. Even if it’s just one song, it counts if you put your heart into it.
2) Invite the Holy Spirit to lead your steps today. Take a deep breath. Invite Him into your moment. An easy time to remember is at mealtimes, like we do at camp.
3) Speak kindly and call out the gold. How many compliments and kind encouragements did you hear at camp? Bring that culture home with you, even if you’re the only one. Even if it’s awkward for you to talk to your brother or your mom that way. You have the power to change the atmosphere of your home.
4) Serve joyfully, honoring one another above yourselves. Isn’t it crazy how happy you are washing dishes or helping a dorm mate at camp? There’s this thing that happens when you serve others without expectation of anything in return. What God gives you in return is joy. It’s not always immediate. Satan wants to steal your victory. Fight through it. Be persistent in serving your family, your teachers, your co-workers. Make it a habit, and I promise—and God promises—joy will come.