Church Camp & Other Plans

Last night I dreamed of a place very dear to my heart and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me very nostalgic. The kind of nostalgia that gives you an ache in your soul, like when you wake up the morning after your heart has been broken.  

When I reflect on my 31 years, I can honestly say there's no physical place on earth that I experienced God more than at Camp Schaefer. There's just something about that place, full of peace & hope and, like all things that eventually break your heart, memories. 

In my dream some things were different. The gravel had been replaced by foam rock so you could walk on it barefoot without pain. There was an indoor basketball court and a PA system that announced meal times. But most things were the same, and the people I cherished so deeply were there too.

If I had my way, I would have spent every summer of my life at that camp. But God had other plans.

If it were left up to me, my 22 year old self would have married my first love on those grounds. But God had other plans. 

If I was in charge, my best friend would still be on this earth, making me smile in his Gilligan hat and standing beside me leading worship. But God had other plans.

The thing about God is, He meets you where you are, but He doesn't leave you there. God met me at Camp Schaefer, every summer for 10 years. He held me in His arms, He healed my heart, He washed me with peace & grace. And then He moved me into the life He had laid out for me. 

Thank You, Lord, for that camp. Thank You for those sacred moments that shaped me & thank You for the friends and the memories. And thank You for moving me along. Thank You for my husband, whose heart is full of love for me, is the love of my soul and the one I do not deserve. Thank You for my son, the light of my life. When I look at him, my heart explodes & I catch a glimpse of how much You love Your children. Thank You for the mission field of my workplace & the work family that loves You. Thank You, Father for Your blessings. Thank You for Your other plans. 

Amen.