Summer has just started, but already I feel like my summer just won’t be complete. You see, for the first time in several years, I wasn’t able to go to church camp with our youth this year.  Call me strange, but I love going to camp with middle and high schoolers! It’s a time where the kids (and the adult chaperones) can get away from the real world and just focus on our relationship with God. Some of the greatest times of spiritual growth I’ve seen in myself and others have been at Summer camp. The problem, of course, is having to come back to reality and see that “spiritual high” dissipate as we go back to facing our daily grind.

But the good news is that we don’t HAVE to be at camp to be able to focus on our relationship with God. We have access to His word every day. We have access to HIM through prayer every day. Why is it I always wait until camp once a year to set aside the world and focus on God? I can do it every day! Hebrews 4:14-16 says: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

~ Dan Ratcliffe