Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Dear Dylan...

February 14, 2018

Dear Dylan,                                              
This summer, you will be beginning another chapter in the story that God has been writing from the beginning of time. You have committed yourself to serving God through serving people with disabilities at Camp Daniel. You will most likely have many opportunities to tell people parts of your story, and you might even find that talking about your experiences will encourage others to want to serve at Camp Daniel, as well. While it is a wonderful thing to draw others to the mission of Camp, I hope that you will come to understand that main theme of your story is not about the service that you provide. You are part of a story that began a very long time ago, before Camp ever even existed in thought or reality. The main theme of the story has always been about showing people that God wants to share Himself with them - that He wants to relate to them personally. It's true that the setting of your part of the story is Camp Daniel, and that you will affect people in your service - campers and their families and volunteers and observers. All of these people will be impacted while you do the work God has placed before you, not because of what you're doing, but because of your attitude in doing it. Will you be joyful or frustrated? Will you be inclusive or reserved? Will you be patient or irritated? Will you be gracious or inflexible? Your attitude will draw people to God or repel them from Him. At Camp Daniel, you will be a part of a community that allows people to relate to God on multiple levels: intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. At Camp Daniel, you will be a part of a community that helps people to understand that worshipping God can be a tangible act that allows for His tangible response. At Camp Daniel, you will be a part of a community that allows people to be in God's presence through every relationship and truth that is realized there. At Camp Daniel, you will learn that it's not important to focus on which person has a disability and which person does not. You will find that the important thing to focus on is showing any person that you meet there that God loves them and values them and wants very much to know them personally. Never lose sight of the goal of connecting people to God - keep the main thing, the main thing. Your Uncle Dan held tightly to the promise that God is faithful to complete the good work He begins in each person. Always be strong in your relationship with God and with the people he places close to you. His presence will never fail you.

Love,
Mama

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  
- Philippians 1:3-6 NIV

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
‭‭ - Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-13‬ NIV

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your ancestors, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."
...He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind.
...He gave him instructions for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.
... "All this," David said, "you have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan."
David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work..."
- 1 Chronicles‬ ‭28:9-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬