Camp Heroes

I just got back from youth camp this last week, and - yes - I'm still recovering.  It was a ton of fun.  We got to be a part of 4 of our 13 students making a decision to accept Christ as Lord - wow!  Not to mention all the youth who made other spiritual, life-changing decisions.  All in all, camp was excellent.  

And I could tell you about all of the things I learned and all of the things the kids learned, but that's not why I'm posting today.  

Today I'm posting to tell you about a special couple.  

At every youth event I see this couple (or at least one or the other of them).  They're older - if I had to guess I'd say probably in their 70s.  But they're at every youth event.  And I'm not exaggerating.  

I can't help but admire them.  My guess is that being in your 70s is hard enough, not to mention taking care of a group of rowdy teenagers.  But they do.  And they do it lovingly.  

I mean, there are times when I find it hard to put up with youth, and I'm in my mid-twenties.  I'm still young.  I have more energy than a 70-year-old.  And, yet, I struggle on the fourth morning of camp to drag my butt out of bed at 6 am, wake up all the girls, make sure their moving, and get them all to breakfast after a night of sleep that didn't start until about 12 am.

I can't help but feel like the youth group that this couple works with are extremely blessed, and I hope they realize it.  This couple, whose names I don't even know, is so diligent in their love for the Lord (you can see it), and they serve their youth group so humbly.  

Lots of churches in the Northwest are doing great things.  And a lot of those churches get recognized in big ways throughout the Northwest Baptist Convention (our association of Baptist churches here in the Northwest) for their church planting efforts or for events they've hosted or trips they've taken.  But I submit to you that this couple (and people like them and situations like theirs) are the real heroes in ministry and who we should be applauding.  Ordinary people doing "ordinary" ministry (like taking kids to youth camp), loving on their youth group, and doing it because they love Jesus and want their kids to see that Jesus loves them.

I hope I'm like that when I'm their age.  That Matthew and I are still kicking it with the youth (or at least are able to) and serving the Lord and others out of love and authenticity when we're past our prime.