the ground.

this past weekend a couple guys and I had the privilege to head down to white mills camp to lead a weekend retreat for middle school students. i grew up going there every summer for our church camp. the summer after my 7th grade - going into 8th - i decided there, at white mills, to follow Jesus. i was able to stand on the very ground in which i made that decision. i remember bowing down, on my knees, in front of a rough looking cross outside the chapel. i knew in that moment that i had to give my life away to the Lord… what else could I do? i went back to the dorms - almost giddy with how excited/over my head i was.

“i want to do it.” i said to my youth minister.

“do what, man? what are you talking about?”

smiling, “i want to get baptized, i want to get serious about God.”

he just smiled. gave me a high-five and said, “alright dude, lets do it.”

i never knew the weight of that decision. i knew exactly what i was doing, but had no idea the future that would follow. i’ve been following Jesus for like 10 years. that’s crazy to me. i never knew that i would dedicate my life to helping others students understand what Jesus is all about. i never knew. i never knew that i would meet my wonderful wife serving at a camp strangely similar to white mills. i never knew i’d be living in lexington. i never knew that people would be discipling me. i never knew that after 10 years of following Jesus, i would have less answers but so much more faith. 

i stood on the ground that, as a middle schooler, i bowed to Jesus that night 10 years ago. i thanked God for that night. i thanked God for past years. good and bad. great things and terrible things. my life was changed because someone older came down to a little camp outside e-town to tell middle schoolers about Jesus… strangely, thats why we went down - to spend the weekend with middle schoolers, leading them to be introduced to the God of the Universe. really, really awesome coincidence. and by coincidence - i mean… something of the Lord. 

anyways… it was awesome. i hope what God did down there this weekend will make a life changing difference in a young person’s life. do it Lord - please.