I once heard someone say that the furthest point from home is the first step away from it. You may take that to be a good or a bad thing, but I would like to think of that first step as a new beginning. Often we think the destination as most important with respect to an expedition. I believe the beginning of a journey deserves a bit more recognition, especially with endeavors like Winter Camp. To begin and break the mold of what is familiar takes quite a bit of faith. I think of Abram, who was told to leave his Father’s house and head to a land that God would show him. In this case, God’s plans remained covert, and still Abram was willing to take that first step into the unknown. Tennis great Arthur Ashe was once quoted saying, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome”. Now the outcome is still greatly important; seeing our children and student’s giving their lives to Christ remains unrivaled, but how we prepare for that outcome also carries a great weight of significance.
As we prepare for this thrilling Winter Camp ride, our first step is to the cross of Jesus Christ. When we align our hearts with His, I believe God empowers us to do the impossible. Our God gives us strength to not only take down Giants, but also break through barriers and lead our youth as their lives take on an extraordinary transformation. Isaiah puts it like this, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. A lot will take place between now and the completion of Winter Camp, and I am confident we will learn a lot along the way. My hope is that we would unite in prayer, during this time of preparation. I desire to finish well, but equally so, I long to start off on the right foot. They, whoever they are, say, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish”. In a perfect world, you would expect both, but despite the depravity of our world, we still serve a perfect God who will do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think”. As we put our hands to the plow, let us ask and dream big, and place our outcomes in the mighty hands of God.
