August 14th will mark my 34th year as a follower of Jesus! I remember that night well. It was a summer night in mid-August at Camp Sugar Pine, just outside of Yosemite National Park.
I was going into high school that fall and had never attended a camp in my life. I couldn’t afford to go to camp, so I didn’t even consider it, when it was mentioned at the youth group. However, someone at the church, decided to make an investment in me and made a way for me to attend high school camp on scholarship! I didn’t quite know what to expect, but God had something great in store for me that week.
It was a great week! One in which I made new friends, had a ton of fun and as a “city boy” enjoyed God’s creation. That week, I also heard of a God who loved me, made a way for me to know him personally, and who had great plans for me. And although I had attended church as a kid, that Thursday night of camp, it all made sense to me and I invited Jesus to come into my life, trusted him to forgive my sins and asked him to take control of my life. I remember that night laying on the roof of the church bus gazing into the sky. I had never seen so many stars in my life and I remember being overwhelmed by the way God was revealing himself to me that night. The message I took away from that camp, was one of hope. I left with a sense that God had great plans for me. And while I didn’t quite understand it at the time, I recall, being overwhelmed by this message of hope and in the reality that I was a new creation in Christ.
As I approach my 34th birthday as a new creation in Christ, I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of my God. These last 34 years have been an amazing journey. Filled with amazing people who have helped me know God better and serve him well.
In Lamentations 3:21, it is written, “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.” So in following the wisdom of this verse, I am going to spend the next few weeks recalling. Recalling the faithfulness of God in my life by recalling the people, the places and the things God used to shape me into the man that I am today. I think it’s going to be a great journey. One that I believe will build my faith, develop a greater capacity for gratitude in my heart and enlarge my hope for the future. Yes, this I recall and therefore I have hope. I invite you to follow along on the journey.
