Posted by: Anna I had the same incredible opportunity that Abby did to attend TeenPact Survival last week. I went last year as well, and had a blast, learned lots, and came away with new friends.
But this year was different. . . better. . . there was no denying that. The best part of the week wasn't the fun, the learning, the time spent in God's creation. . . those were all wonderful, but the best part was growing closer to my team and to my Savior. On the first day, we all split up into five teams. I had the honor of being on the Woodland team. Each of my nine teammates was an awesome individual and I'm so grateful I got to know them all. Growing closer to my team also grew my relationship with Christ. Their constant reminders of Who deserved the glory, of Who brought us there, and Who was the real reason we were there helped keep me focused. Seeing their own faith inspired me to build me own, and their unceasing encouragement kept me motivated. Thank you so much, Woodland! The evening messages and morning Quiet Times helped me in my walk with Jesus too. God definitely used that week to teach and grow me. Even the first message on the first day was something I needed to hear, and every Quiet Time uplifted me. Worship with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around the campfire was an incredible, refreshing experience as well. All in all, I could go on and on about the week and never completely convey how much it meant to me. It was definitely one of those events they call a 'mountain-top experience'. The term 'mountain-top experience' isn't new to me, though. I'd heard and thought about it at the other three TeenPact events I've been to, as well. In fact, often times my 'goal' for the week at those past events was to keep the inspiration, keep the zeal. To not rapidly fall down the mountain, you might say, but stay on top even after leaving. But. . . That never worked. Every time, I would get home fired up and ready to go. I'd been in my Bible every day, praying frequently and fervently, trying to find ways to minister (hence this website!), working daily to improve myself, and in general living life to the fullest from a Christian perspective. Then the fire would die down. No longer in the atmosphere of a TeenPact event, where you're surrounded by other youth who are as passionate about Christ as you are and are constantly given the opportunity to praise and learn about Him, it was impossible for me to continue to 'feel' like I was at a TeenPact event. It wasn't until this TeenPact event that I finally realized. . . That's okay. Like I said, I'd heard the mountain-top phrase before. However, I'd never fully understood it. This past week, the amazing staff at Survival fixed that. Now I realize that it really isn't possible to 'stay on top of the mountain', nor am I supposed to. As they pointed out to us, if you think about it, it doesn't work that way in real life. Think of a mountain-climber. They climb the mountain, get to the top, and. . . Come back down. How many people hike to the top of the mountain and stay there for more than a few days, or maybe a few weeks? Not many. Mountains just aren't a good place to live. Realistically, most people can't live on a mountain for a substantial amount of time. So where do the people live? In the valley. The first message on the first night, which is the one I said above was already speaking to me at Survival, was partially about not disregarding the 'prep work'. Recently, I've had a hard time just being content with where I'm at. I feel like I should be doing more. . . not just sitting at home doing school, doing chores, taking care of my dog, writing. . . and the other rather 'insignificant' activities of every-day life. That's the valley. 'Every-day life' takes place in the valley, not on the mountain. The valley isn't overly exciting. At least, for most people, it's not awe-inspiring like the mountain-top. But, the valley is where there's water, and vegetation, and protection. . . everything we need to live. That's why the valley is where we live. So the valley isn't full of adventure and invigorating experiences. I know that. But at Survival, I learned two more important things about the valley. 1: It's prep-work. 2: It's where the people live. That might not make sense, so let me clarify. Do people just randomly up and pack their bags to go climb a mountain? Nope, they prepare! And do they prepare once they're on the mountain? Nope, they do it in the valley! God uses our time -which is, for many of us, quite a bit- in the valley to prepare us for the next mountain. God can and does use what may seem boring and monotonous to us to prepare us. My seemingly dull life; in which the only real challenges I face are things like being content, obeying my parents, and continuing to study my Bible; is actually, I now realize, part of my preparation for whatever God has in store for me. Want an example? Well, what better than that of Jesus Himself? In Luke 3:23, it says that Jesus began His ministry at about thirty years old. That means that for thirty years, Jesus wasn't healing. He wasn't teaching. But during that time, we know He spent a few days in the Temple, asking questions and listening. That sounds like preparation to me. Luke 2:52 says: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." Jesus was prepared for His role in God's plan -which happened to be the biggest role- for thirty years! He didn't just start when He was a toddler. He was prepared. How much more do we need to be prepared? Let's move on to the second one, that the people live in the valley. Why is that significant? Ever heard the quote from Martin Luther that says: "God doesn't need your good works, but your neighbor does"? Well, someday I'd like to look more in depth on that topic, but for now, let's focus on the last part: "But your neighbor does". So we already determined that the people live in the valley. So your neighbors live in the valley. And your neighbors need your help. . . Ding ding ding! You got it! When we're up on the mountain, we don't have as much ability to minister and lead others to Christ. Why? Because the people, the ones who need that ministry and help, aren't up there with us! Granted, there are certainly things to do on the mountain-top: I wouldn't be writing this if the staff at Survival hadn't brought me to understanding on all this while I was there. However, you don't find many people that are unsaved, homeless, wandering, dying, or in need of comfort on top of the mountain. You find them in the valley. So how does all this tie together? Mountain-top experiences are awesome. And they're necessary, oftentimes, to get us going again. And to teach us things. But we can't stay on the mountain. And we can't be depressed when we get back down to the valley. . . No. Instead, we need to be thankful to have the opportunity to share our new growth and knowledge with those who weren't able to be on the mountain with us! To use what we've just learned to reach others, and to use our refreshed motivation to inspire those around us. When I first got home for Survival, and even for a couple days afterwards, I was kind of down. I wanted to be back on the mountain. I still do, actually. I miss my team! I miss everyone at Survival, I miss the time up in the beautiful Black Hills, I miss worshiping God around the fire. . . I miss all of it. But at the same time, I'm content to be back in the valley. Because now I realize that I have another amazing team down here that didn't get to experience that mountain- my family and other friends. And, I realize that for now, I'm exactly where God wants me. So I may not be on a mountain. And you may not be on a mountain. But that's okay- we're where we belong. We're being prepared by the God of the universe for what He's called us to do.
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Posted by: Abby
This week I had the amazing opportunity to attend a TeenPact Survival camp. I will say that it was honestly one of the best weeks of my life. Not only did I learn a whole lot about how to survive in the wilderness, but I made awesome friends and had experiences that I would never have had otherwise. One thing that stood out to me within the week was the Quiet Time that every one had during the morning. It was a great time to just talk with God or spend time in his Word. On the very last full day of the program, I was sitting in "my spot" that I had sat in every morning to commune with Him. It was a quiet little spot next to a small creek where dragon flies would meander about and you could hear the quiet burble of the creek. My thoughts on this particular morning were not all that serene though. To tell you the truth I was allowing myself to be distracted by things that had been going on during the week. Finally I had had enough of my rampant thoughts. It was time to reign them in. I bowed my head and prayed that God would clear my thinking and focus my thoughts on Him. To my astonishment, tears immediately began filling my eyes and my heart began to melt. All I could think was how much Jesus did for me. He died on the cross so I could live and has provided for me and my family through all of our lives. I sat there for about ten minutes, praising the Lord and thanking him with joyful tears. My quiet time had been well spent and my walk with Jesus had grown more intimate. In the end it made me realize just how close Jesus is to us. He is always there for us in all of our times of contentment and all of our times of need. He works through His Holy Spirit as often as we'll let Him. Thank you Jesus for the peace and happiness you give us. |
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