Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Bible Camp

I am so excited! In 24 hours, I will be at a 5 day Bible Camp that I have wanted to attend for what seems like years. But it's only been about 8 months since I started to really want to attend. I hardly even prayed about it, and when I did, it was almost wishful praying, because I knew there was no possible way that I could attend.
Just the same, I visited the website often, and when I noticed there was going to be one of the camps less than 2 hours away, boy, my desire to go really went up. But I just kept wishing, and every now and then praying about it, and looking at the website way too much.
I had never mentioned to anyone how much I wanted to go to one of these camps. But early this year, as my sister and I were talking, out of the blue she happened to mention this camp, ArMe Bible Camp. I got all excited about it and mentioned I had wanted to attend one and planned to try to go one, even though inside I knew there was no way I could go. But that was it, I didn't intend for her to do anything about it, it just popped up in the conversation and we kept talking about other stuff. That was the end of it-- or so I thought.
I had no clue that brief conversation about a camp would end up making my way too generous sister think of registering me.  But that is exactly what happened. She called me up a couple days later, letting me know that she had registered me. My prideful self, who doesn't like to accept things that I can't somehow earn or pay back, tried to change her mind. But she wouldn't hear of it. She very graciously made my attending ArMe Bible Camp a reality, instead of a far-fetched dream.
I am so thankful for my sister's generous gift, and ultimately, God's gift to me. I know God impressed my sister (who wishes to remain nameless) about this, because it's something I think I really need. I have been praying for quite some time that God would help me be a better Bible student, that He would provide an opportunity for fellowship and spiritual growth that can only happen at these kinds of events. God heard my prayer, and used my lovely sister to fulfill a desire that I hardly dared to dream of.
I am so excited. I have never been this excited about a camp/convention in my life. I think the reason is because out of all the other camps I've gone to, this is the first one that I have sought to go to for the sole reason of spiritual growth, of getting closer to God. All the other ones, well, I can't say I didn't want spiritual growth, but this time, it's different, I know it is. For the past 8 months or so, God has been working on my heart in amazing ways, and even more recently, since around the beginning of the year, I have really started to hunger for God's Word, for a deeper relationship with Him. And I know that I'm only getting started.
And this Arme Bible Camp, it is only the beginning as well.

This is also the first camp where I don't have a clue who I'll be rooming with, or if I'll know a single other person there. So yeah, it's gonna be like way out of my element, but even in that I see God's hand. He knows I need that. One isn't growing, I don't think, if one isn't out of their comfort zone.

Thank you Nameless sister! I can't begin to let you know how much your amazing gift means to me. I hope one day to be able to make it up to you.
And thank you God, for knowing the secret desires of my heart, and for providentially working everything out.
Jer. 33:3, Psalm 37:4