Labor day weekend has become almost a cherished relic within my family. Described as the four best days of the year, my family along with many friends from our church community travel to West Milton, Ohio for a weekend spent in drafty cabins or dormitories (or even better tents), eating food from Styrofoam plates in a cafeteria whose dinner bell falls down from time to time, playing any variety of sports across the campground, spending time with friends around a campfire or in the old snack bar, and of course meeting God within the "tabernacle" through the worship, prayer, and teaching.
My first attendance to LDFC (Labor Day Family Camp) was when I was two months old and aside from the dark year when my parents choose to attend their high school class reunions instead, I have been in attendance every year since. I have so many fond memories there. I remember being the energetic 5 year old running around with my face painted like a butterfly showing off the crafts I had made in class to any appeasing adult who would listen, I remember spending hours on the basketball court pretending to hold my own against Kent Knapp and then rushing off and changing into my dance outfit making it to the meeting just in time to dance with Debby and the dance team, volunteering in the cafeteria with my best friends, the many speakers who have molded my life through their teachings, the worship, the prayer times, the pranks.... I could go on and on and fill up this blog to the extent that no one would ever want to read it again. But as you can imagine it is challenging for me to realize that for the second time in my life I will not being spending this weekend there.
But it is hardly the end of the world missing LDFC and I find such comfort in knowing that God has brought me to be here in Belgium at this time for a purpose that is continuing to unfold. And my alternative to camp is far from shabby, I get to spend the weekend with the wonderful ladies I work and live with here and of course have the privilege of being Rebecca's "hands and feet". Although we have times such as LDFC that we look forward to with anticipation and look back on with fond memories, we can look forward to each day with the same anticipation because each new day is a new opportunity to know Father more deeply, and we can look back on each day fondly because it has been a day full of experiencing the abundant richness of God's character. When we "huddle" at the end of our day I like to close the day with thanksgiving and in anticipation of the potential the next day holds in knowing God and the richness of His character more.
"and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you maybe be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" Ephesians 3:19
The amplified Bible says, "That you may really come to know-practically, through experience for yourselves-the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge; that you maybe be filled unto all the fullness of God-and may have the richest measure of the divine Presence and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!"
May we look forward to each day with great anticipation of a day spent getting to know this love that surpasses all understanding!
No comments:
Post a Comment