Forks and Spoons

One thing that God really taught me this summer was that He doesn't actually need me. Yes, He does use me to accomplish His plans, but He doesn't really need me. He can get everything done that He wants, without my help. I like to think that God does need me though, that I play an integral role in fulfilling His plans. I want to be important; I like to be important. But it's not about me, now is it? Nope, God says, it's about Me and and My glory. I am the Potter, you are the clay. I am the Carpenter, you are the tools. I am the Chef, you are the utensils.

I read today, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for His purpose." The thing is, we don't get to decide what kind of utensil we are. We might be a fork or a spoon or a toothpick. The important thing is that God accomplishes His plans, not how He uses us. The fact that even uses us is amazing!

This summer at Ponca, Lawrence and I had very different roles than we have had in the past. Usually we are counselors at least one week and then direct together one week. This year I couldn't counsel at all since Coralyn came with us. So, the first week we worked in the kitchen as cooks. We had absolutely nothing to do with what happened in the cabins or at chapel or anything really except what the campers ate and when. Yet, kids from the Liberty area were saved! To emphasize the point that He doesn't need use to get these types of things done, God reminded us that we hadn't even invited those campers -- former students had invited them! We had absolutely nothing to do with these boys coming to camp or their accepting Christ as their Savior! The next week, we were directors, so we had a little more involvement with the campers, but yet again we really didn't have anything to do with what happened in the cabins. And once again God showed us He doesn't need us to get things done. 4 girls trusted Jesus, and we had nothing to do with them coming to camp or being saved. As before, a former camper (a sister of a former student) had invited these girls to camp.

I like to feel at least partly responsible for almost 60 kids coming from the Liberty area, but I can't take any credit at all. God is the One who gets all the glory, and the only one! He is the reason why each and every one of those boys and girls went to Ponca this year. I'm not sure if I was a fork or a spoon or a toothpick, but I am just thankful that I got to be a part of the work God did this summer at Ponca Bible Camp. It's an amazing place, and God always blows our faces off with everything that He accomplishes in the lives of the campers who set foot on that holy piece of ground. I am already excited about next year!