Hello dear friends!
I’m not sure how you all have been doing this summer, but these past few weeks as our Pastoral Intern have been a whirlwind of opportunities to learn, observe, and experience for me. I am so grateful to have found myself among this beloved community as I explore what “calling” means and how I might live that out in my vocational journey.
This past week, I got to walk alongside our youth as they explored that very thing at PASSPORT Camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Together, we worshiped, studied, and challenged each other to consider how God might be calling us to “Come to the Water” in different ways. And I must say, our youth had some cool answers.
Upon arriving at camp, before we even stepped foot into the auditorium for worship, we were faced with a big amount of water in the form of a thunderstorm. It was as if creation knew our week’s theme was water and just had to chime in!
So, stuck in the cafeteria while we watched the waters flow from the gutters on the roof onto the muddy ground, Kyle and I had some time to chat as we tried to wait out the storm. This, of course, was before our begrudging realization that the storm was rolling on, and we would have to walk back to our dorms in the rain. And although running through campus on what seemed like the path with all the rain puddles was frustrating, it certainly set the stage for a whole week of talking about water.
Throughout our time at camp, we discussed the different ways we experience water. Sometimes it is an unpredictable rainstorm that forces you to stay inside and get to know your co-worker a little better, or soaks your shoes as you run back to shelter, while other times it is a lazy river you float down with your friends, relaxing at the sounds of water flowing, or bracing when the river suddenly drops off. Water is a necessary source of life, but it can also be uncontrollable and scary.
And much like our relationship with God, water ebbs and flows. We sometimes drink all the water we need, and other times search for a bottle out of thirst. We sometimes jump right in, and other times need help finding the confidence to dip our toes in. Water creates mud that makes us dirty, but it also washes us clean. We find ourselves in droughts, but the rain inevitably comes down again to rejuvenate us.
I felt so lucky to watch as our students explored what it means to listen for the flow of God’s water in their own lives this past week. They really jumped right in by asking questions, exploring their own faith experiences, and considering how they might ebb and flow with God’s waters after camp. I’m excited to see where the water calls them!
Where might God’s waters be calling you this week?
Grace and peace,
Mallory