Humbled By Capernaum Campers

After finishing a grueling year of school, I always looked forward to going to summer camp with my best friend, Ali. We had been going since elementary school and it had become somewhat of a tradition. Most summers we would go for a week with my church or youth group, getting completely filled up with the Holy Spirit. We would bond together, and our relationship would be strengthened with the love of Jesus, as well as our relationship with others. Beginning in high school we started going to summer camp with Younglife, a great youth group that has partners all around the world! Our second summer of going we were not expecting much, we knew the people, and we had been to camp before. It was going to be just the same as the previous summer but a little less exciting. Our outlook on camp had changed; it was going to be fun and not a learning experience or time with God.

            We had our minds set that having been to camp already we would have seniority, dominating over other campers and thinking that we were on top of the world. We were full of the “I’m better than you” attitude and were not prepared for what was to come. God quickly knocked us down from our self stood pedestals and showed us the clothes of pride we were wearing. The other campers that were joining our youth group at camp were kids from Capernaum, a youth group who were mild to severely disabled high school students, and their leaders. Living a week with special needs teenagers who are normally the runt of jokes at schools was not only humbling but inspirational.

            While playing games, eating, swimming, and doing every last activity at camp with the Capernaum kids God transformed my heart. At that time I was shown the true meaning of being humble, God’s overflowing love, and having a servant’s heart. Prior to going to camp I was unaware of being humble. I was not a prideful person but I was not giving enough credit to God. I was put in my place when I saw all the Capernaum campers with their volunteer leaders. Each camper had their own personal leader who took care of them and served God by serving them. They participated in every single physical activity that was presented to them and did it with the ease that had been given to them by God.

            Camp that summer was not just a week full of fun for my friends and I, it was a learning experience, a time that I completely surrendered my heart to God and wanted His light and goodness to be seen and not mine. I wanted to have the same ability that Jesus had, to see people as people, not by disability, color, or race. God showed me that week that everyone is His child and all are equally deserving of His love and attention. Having spent a week with Capernaum campers not only was my summer changed, but my heart was new. I was beginning to see Jesus not just on pages but in my life.