Off to Camp for the summer....

Hey all.. I have new summer plans!

During the last few weeks, God was really talking to me about my summer... I was feeling like I needed a change- like working at the nursing home for the rest of the summer just wasn't what God had in store for me- like that was too...simple. lol. Or something like that. Anyways... I was thinking about Camp Chetek a lot.. and then last Sunday a staff guy from camp came and preached for our church because Pastor King wasn't able to be there... and he talked about the woman who poured out precious ointment on Jesus head, out of her alabaster jar... and he said something that stuck out to me.. "This ointment cost, as it says elsewhere in scripture, the equivalent of a year's worth of wages. How hard would it be for you or I to give up a year's worth of wages for Jesus?" At the time, my mind argued with that. "It wouldn't be hard," I thought. "If Jesus wanted me to give up a year's worth of money to serve Him- I could do it."
Through the beginning of the week.. I began to think more and more about Camp Chetek... and thought of the reasons WHY I had been saying no to the idea of working there... "I don't agree with their stance on contemporary music"... I thought... (and it's true, I don't...) and "They shouldn't use the KJV for everything.. it's not understandable to today's little kids"... (which is still fairly true,) but these weren't the real heart of my reasons.
One of my main reasons was money. Camp Chetek doesn't pay anything, and so working there I wouldn't make any money during the summer. This really was brought to mind after that message- the idea that... (and I took this from the sermon in a way that was completely not its intended direction, but true just the same.) If the widow could sacrifice a year's worth of wages just to pour ointment upon Jesus head... how much more could I give up a summer's worth of money- only two months, really- in order to serve God in a volunteer position at camp?
My other principle issue had to do with submitting to authority- I didn't like some of the positions Camp Chetek takes on a couple of issues... but as I thought about it, I came to realize- it's all a matter of me submitting to authority. I didn't have to start agreeing with the camp- I just had to recognize that the issues I disagreed on are in fact "freedom" issues, and I have been opposing them because they are a stance that denies the freedom we have to make our own decisions concerning those issues, but that IS a choice- and it's camp taking its freedom to make decisions about them. Yes, I disagree with some of the choices, and the direction they take the issues themselves... but it's within camp's freedom to choose to use the KJV for their bible-camp teachings, and memorization... and it's their freedom to not use contemporary music at all- I can think these things are fine.. but it falls into Romans 14- if those things could make someone stumble, it's better to avoid them if those people are involved, rather than cause stumbling... and I realized that it's what camp is doing- using KJV, it's neutral, and the same with the music- it's sometimes better to be mild and conservative compared to some people, in order that you might not offend others.
I had to decide that I am willing to submit to the rules of the camp- regardless of what I believe. And I did. And I am so excited now about camp- and about what God may do with me this summer. Pray for me that I will let Him lead me and that I will choose to do His will day by day.
I will be working as the nurse's assistant this summer at camp, and I am really excited about it. If you want to know more about what I'm doing this summer, feel free to email me at danette.thompson@gmail.com and ask. :)

In God's grace...
~Danette