the point

last night i returned to pittsburgh after another week of playing music at suncrest camp. for those who don't know, suncrest is a christian and missionary alliance camp in new sewickley township, pa, near rochester. this past week was for middle school kids, so the vibe wasn't quite as intense as for the high school kids last month. the week was exhausting at times, frustrating at others, yet ultimately rewarding. we may end up tired and in need of time away from camp at the end of the week, but the fact is that as a result of our work there are kids now who know who Jesus is and what He did for us.

today i'm experiencing the hangover. last month the hangover was a result of missing a lot of close friends from camp who i don't see very often. i missed playing music with some of my favorite co-worship-leaders. i instantly missed the running jokes that we've all enjoyed telling with one another.

this time is different, though. i do miss the people, of course. but i think i've discovered the root of the hangover, for myself at least. the fact is that during that week at suncrest it's all about showing kids who Jesus is. no matter if we're eating, singing, playing, hanging out, or having cabin time, the point is clear. we, as leaders, are all on the same page that the ministry of suncrest camp is the most important thing. if we are growing weary, we can be re-energized by remembering that the devil is working harder to counteract the work we're doing. that is a revitalizing thought; one that has kept me going many times.

when you get back into the "real world", though, that's not the point to people around you all the time. i go to school and work with people who may not understand why i would sacrifice a week's income to go to a tiny camp in the middle of nowhere, beaver county. these people may be concerned with making money, getting ahead in their job, and satisfying their own personal day-to-day pleasures. it's hard to blame them. if i didn't have God to rely on for those things, i'd probably be more concerned with them, too.

the fact is that the devil is working his tail off to make sure that we come back into our real lives and go back to what we used to do. trusting ourselves to provide, worrying about where the money's coming from and how we're going to get it. at suncrest, we all want to spread Jesus. out here, it's not the case. everyone's not on my side. we're not all on the same page. we don't all have the same concerns. it's a challenge, but it's a challenge worth facing. we, as christians, are different than the rest of the world. i suppose it's time to show the world why we're different.