Back from the Real World…
I returned last night from a week in the real world, where distractions like cell phones, TVs, XBOX's, internet, cars, malls, movies went AWOL. Where struggles of kids surfaced as they heard the greatest love story of all time.
Issues like how God can love us like a "Father" when their own real father doesn't exist in their lives, or parents that don't love them like they hope for.
I was in the real world…
How suicide that surrounds their community has affected them and whether people they know who have committed it go to heaven or hell and the struggles with the fact that we can only hope so, but ultimate judgement is up to God, not what we think.
I was in the real world…
How can a God love me after I have screwed up so many times was a common theme to questions from students all week, seems as if they believe there is no hope and that if they drink more than their friend that they are a worse person in God's eyes, when in fact they are both loved the same by God. Even more hard to comprehend is that they are loved just as much as their pastors, Mother Theresa, and their leaders and the camp speaker.
I was in the real world…
Seeing kids struggle with not having electronics with them all the time (me struggling too) but hearing from them that every moment of free time is spent on the XBOX, internet, or on their cell phones are a sign to me that kids aren't forced to play outside in the yard, or do the simple things in life like we did at camp, just hanging out in the middle of camp talking, throwing a frisbee, playing a game of cards… All the activities listed above are done alone, XBOX could be with others, but they get in the zone and therefore are by themselves pretty much… At camp, everything is done in numbers, nothing alone except sleeping in your own bed.
I was in the real world…
400 campers, leaders, staff climbed to the peak of Mt. Chrysolite in the Collegiate mountain range. Later another leader from Texas told us that a student had prayed for God to let it snow on the hike… God said hello to that student and gave them a big hug… It snowed on us on the way down, in July…
I was in the real world…
The real challenge, deal with the junk that is thrown at us in the "real world" that society has molded for us.. I am fortunate to have a community that loves me and supports me, as well as a family that loves me and a heavenly father who loves me as I am and not as I should be…
Beautifully written…God is good!
Hey, I was just googling Mt. Chysolite and found this as one of the web-sites. I was a leader the week y'all were at camp. I started reading through your entry and realized that I was the leader with the girl who asked God for it to snow on the mountain. That was so amazing. She ended up giving her life to Christ that week and is still so excited to deepen her relationship with God. God works in amazing ways! It was fun to see this comment on your journal entry!
~Sutton~
sutton.stallworth@trinity.edu
awesome that you came across here!
That is a great story, i'd like to say nice ending, but it is only the beginning for her!
thanks Sutton