summer stories: walking humbly.

Every summer at Camp Evergreen I learn new lessons from God. This past summer was no different for me. While I was leading a cabin I encountered a camper who came from a particularly difficult living situation. Being from a group home and having little contact with family, the camper had a difficult time accepting that God loved him because he had so few experiences of love in his life. While he was enjoying the week, it was clear that the camper had set up a wall between him and God.

One night, the camper uncharacteristically refused to go to chapel. He was visibly upset, so I followed him through the woods, listened to his story, thoughts and feelings, and eventually calmed him down enough to sit outside of the chapel. It seemed like the walls he had built would never come down!

After my encounter with this camper, I was quite exhausted but for some reason, I was compelled to walk. I didn't know why but leaving my co-cabin leader with our campers, I had to keep walking. Before I knew it, I was walking in a circular pattern and it must have looked ridiculous as I walked laps around the camp. Just as I started my final lap (possibly my seventh) God spoke a word into my head: "Jericho". Upon hearing that word I knew why God wanted me to walk. With the word, God reminded me of Joshua 6 where the walls of Jericho fell down and through the spontaneous walking circuit God gave me comfort in knowing that the walls my camper had built were coming down.

I wish I could say my camper became a Christian later that week, but I know that the seed has been planted and that the "walls are coming down". Pray that this camper will come to know and accept the unfailing love of God. As for me I guess you could say that I learned how to walk humbly: by walking in circles and by simply planting a seed.

Submitted by Eric S.