While It Is In Your Power

“While it remained, was it not your own?  After it was sold, was it not in your own control.” (Acts 5:4)

They were called ‘knippersinkers.’ For those who lived through the first year of that adventure in life called ‘camp’ … we all share a bond that will last throughout our lives.  For those who were not there, allow me to illustrate the meaning.

You see for one entire week, from the time of registration until the time of departure and goodbyes, it rained.  Lots of rain!  And so for one entire week, adults and campers alike, we woke up to rain and went to sleep with the sound of rain.  We walked in the rain, ran in the rain, played in the rain.  We made countless trips to town to the laundromat to wash and dry clothes and we do mean lots of clothes.

Every year they came back together for a week of making new friends, strengthening old friendships, sports, crafts, eating, laughing, Bible studies, devotionals, staying up half of the night talking, learning how to apply the instructions of God’s Word to their own everyday lives.

Did you ever wake up one morning and feel so healthy and strong that you wanted to take 160 plus kids ages 9-18 camping for a week?  I can hear you now … WHAT?

Well I have!  With joy in our hearts and smiles on our faces my wife and I embarked on this great adventure for many summers.  Lots of preparation work over several months brought us there, and great helpers worked alongside us to make that experience possible for those young people.

Could we possibly do that today?  No way!

While it is in your power, what can you do today to help all of our young people to grow up serving the Lord?

• You can pray for them … that they will love the Lord and live their lives serving Him!
• You can take a few moments and encourage our young folks because they need to know we care about them.
• Be willing to engage them in conversation and what’s going on in their lives.
• You can look for opportunities to teach them God-centered values and ways.
• You can live in such a way before their young eyes that having a right relationship with God is of paramount importance to you!
• You can help them develop better habits, because habits are like little threads that weave into chains. Time and practice only make them stronger. Habits like Bible Study, prayer, talking about the Scriptures with others.
• You can demonstrate the place of being a servant, even as our Lord was!
• You can observe when it seems that the world is having too great of an influence on them and help them to recognize the pitfalls of life that can cripple or destroy their young soul.
• You can help them achieve a better understanding of … a better appreciation for … the living God, His inspired and revealed Word and the church which was purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, His Son.

You can make a difference in a young person’s life today while it is in your power to do so!  Just do it!

Aren’t you glad I didn’t ask you to take 160 kids camping?

Bill Fairchild, Jr.