God is so good! (Let me explain).
If you’ve been to a summer camp, you may have memories of flying off the innertube or painting a ceramic cat that your parents “forgot.” My core camp memories are a little different.
One summer after high school, I worked as the counselor for 19 middle school girls at a camp somewhere in the Dakotas. Nothing has tested my faith more.
I wanted these girls to leave with great memories, confidence, and a picture of God’s love. I knew He wanted this, too. But I was falling short.
“I just said the wrong thing”
“I can’t answer this question.”
“Maybe this is too much.”
In ministry (whether as a pastor, group leader, homeschool mom, or lunch lady), we get in our heads. My brain has a PhD in self-doubt. It has this special ability to fixate on how bad my mistakes are. Overwhelm sets in, and I tell myself what Moses told the burning bush: “Maybe I’m not the right person.”
One precious day off, I camped (and cried) by the lake.
“Lord, I’ve messed it all up. I couldn’t be who those girls—and who You—needed me to be.”
My precious Savior whispered, “My daughter, I’m holding you.”
He’s holding the whole situation.
Our work here is like a snow globe. The messy stuff floats to the bottom so eventually, you see what you were meant to focus on.
God has accounted for your humanness.
He is sovereign over those girls’ memories. Maybe they needed a Believer to say, “I don’t have the answer, but I’ll find it.”
My prayer became, “Let the good things stick and the bad things slip.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the LORD who goes before you…Do not fear” (ESV).
He prepares the way; He covers your shortcomings (even redeeming the overwhelming inadequacies of an exhausted 18-year-old camp counselor).
Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we [have] a high priest who sympathize[s] with our weaknesses.”
Jesus knows what it’s like to desire perfection but feel far from it. Think of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane: “Take this cup.” He understands the weight of “Maybe this is too much.”
At the lake, I didn’t receive superhuman energy and Biblical knowledge. But God is so good, He showed me that all along, those girls saw Jesus (even as I dropped the ball).
In 2 Kings 6, Elisha prayed with an anxious young man. They were up against a large army, and he felt inadequate.
The Bible says, “The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.” 2 Kings 6:16-17 ESV
We just show up. That’s it. God has a whole angel army conquering the demons of misunderstanding, selfishness, sloth, and self-doubt.
God, remind us that you are sovereign. Build a sound mind so we aren’t rocked by inadequacy. Teach us how to be a good representative of you. Thank you for holding us close. Amen.”
About the Author:
Alycia Dantier is a writer and personal growth coach who pursues truth and simplifies God’s will so overthinkers can experience His peace and find freedom from chasing perfection.
Connect with Alycia:
@alyciadantier (Instagram, Facebook)
