Goodbye for Now

Written at the tail-end of August: 

The week is done. So concludes my summer as the IMP Coordinator. There were tears, laughter, moments of sheer joy, occasions of sorrow, even periods of what can only be called "blah." Such is the wonderful world of camp, one I accidentally stumbled into last year thanks to Ari.

And my life has never been the same.

God began something at camp last year. Fresh out of college, fresh out of success having graduated magna cum laude in the Honors Program, and I was consumed by doubt. I didn't know what I wanted (still don't most days). I viewed the world in terms of success and failure...and coming fresh off of failing to get the Fulbright to Mexico I saw going to camp as another example of why I was failing at life, at adulting.

But camp taught me more than I could have imagined. Camp taught me to give my all without relying on success; camp taught me that sometimes all you need is grit and determination and a heart ready to serve.

YWAM continued that, or rather God continued the lesson he wanted to teach me while I was in Ensenada and Costa Rica. Christianity became very simple. Fall in love with God. Stop trying. Stop trying to be perfect, stop adding guilt where there should be none, stop trying to save yourself. Come, follow me. Come, be with me. Come, I want a relationship with you.

How gloriously simple! To fall in love with God, to seek God, that is the true heart of Christianity. Because he loves us endlessly and I want to helplessly respond in kind. Helpless because he is glorious. Helpless because he is faithful. Helpless because mercy triumphs over judgment.

"Thank you for teaching others to love others."