Put yourself in a camper’s shoes for a moment and imagine you are halfway up a 60-foot cliff. You try not to look down, but of course you cannot help yourself every once in a while. Your mind knows the ground is only about 30 feet down, but it seems more like 130. You are holding onto a tiny crack as best as you can. Your feet are precariously clinging to what amounts to a few bumps on the rock wall. You may fall any second. Of course you are harnessed in and the rope is held securely, but you cannot help but think “What if it just happens to fail on my turn?”
You look up and see a small crevice that just might hold your weight. You force yourself to let go with your left hand and, without even breathing, slowly reach up to get your fingers on the crevice. Just as you get ahold of it, your foot slips and you fall! For a split second, you think you are going to plummet to your death, but the rope catches you. As you hang in midair trying to get your composure, your heart racing and your stomach churning, you hear a voice say “Ok, good try, now get back on the wall and try it again.” You look down in disbelief to see the staff person who is holding your rope giving you a thumbs-up.
You want to scream, “I am too petrified even to move; let alone keep going!” Instead you pray to Jesus for help, and even though you are convinced it is impossible, you get back on the wall to try it again. This time, against all odds, you make it to the top!
As you rappel down the wall, your feet are shaky, your fingers will hardly move and your heart is still pounding with adrenaline, but you experience a deep sense of accomplishment. Then, the Holy Spirit whispers in your ear, “I will be with you in all of your troubles, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” You go home with a new sense of confidence in the Lord.
This is our prayer at The Oaks: that God would use Outdoor Education Camp to move students from a casual acceptance of the faith of their parents toward a radical commitment to Jesus as their Lord and Savior in everyday life.
