God is There
Kids’ Camp
During my years as a children’s pastor, I often stepped into the role of camp director and/or camp speaker for Kids’ Camp. Spending a week connecting with the kids in my charge was the highlight of my year. I have many delightful memories of sitting with them at picnic tables, playing games and talking together. I will cherish those memories forever.
One year, the theme for the week was the names of God. Focusing on His names meant an intentional opportunity to think on God’s character because His names describe who He is. I planned to cover two to three names of God each day in my morning and evening chapel talks, with cabin times for counselors to discuss them with their campers.
Hiking in the Pouring Rain
My plan for day three went out the window. God had other purposes in mind. An afternoon hike was planned with campers and counselors. I needed to stay back at camp to deal with a tricky situation that presented itself. My counselors were mature parents who I trusted with the kids.
On the hike, it began to rain…hard. That in itself created complications for the group, but then one of the boys fell and hit his head. The fall produced a head injury which necessitated stitches. It was bloody, as often happens with head injuries. In the pouring rain, the blood frightened the children and they believed the boy to be dying. The counselors did their best to assure the kids that the boy would recover. The children returned to camp, shaken and needing comfort.
Where was God?
At evening chapel, I chose to focus on God’s name, Jehovah Shammah. The children had been previously taught that God is always with us, but as happens in trauma, He can feel far away. Instead of a talk, we had a discussion. I could have told them that the boy was fine and we could all move on. That was not what they needed. They feared and they needed reassurance of God’s care for the boy and for them.
Where is God when scary things happen? He is there. I asked them how God showed that He was there. They pondered, then responded. They spoke of the strong counselor who could pick the wounded boy up and carry him. They recalled the wise counselors who directed them on the pathway in the heavy rain. They remembered how they held hands and walked together so that no one would get lost. The memory began to have a different color. God was there. He was with them. He never left them. Their fear turned to faith and they walked to cabin time a little lighter. They rested well that night.
He Experiences it with Us
When life brings heartache, I practice asking myself the same question I asked the kids that night at camp: Where was God? Sometimes, because I am human, it takes time for me to answer. But He was there. He is always there. If He is truly omnipresent, then He must be there in the worst moments I experience. He enters them with me. He is as near as my next breath.
Psalm 139:7-10 “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
Photo by Chuck Sedgwick