Life is like a gas fireplace?

As we are getting ready to head to camp again - I peeked back at something I wrote after camp last year.,. thought I'd include it here. Haha! desperate for posts - reduce, reuse, recycle, right?

Last week I sat with a group of our students as we were wrapping up our last full day at camp. I admitted to them that I am deathly afraid of lighting my gas fireplace. I turn the gas on, and stick the flame in and there's always this big explosion that leaves me wondering if I have any eyebrows left. I compared that explosion to our camp experience. We came open to God, with our "gas turned on" ready to see what He had for us. Some of us approached fearlessly, some with anxiety or uncertainty (like me every time I light the fireplace)... But regardless of how we approached we all had an incredible experience with God.I warned them that the feeling would go away once we boarded the bus and headed back down the mountain. I warned them that as that feeling from "the big explosion" went away they would question whether or not it was even real... I wanted to make sure they understood though, that the "big explosion" was never the goal - that the "big explosion" served to ignite a strong, steady flame... that was the goal. In fact, if I were to light my fireplace and the explosion just continued over and over it would be an indication that something wasn't working quite right.We went on to discuss how we could continue that strong steady flame even after the feeling of the explosion was gone. The answers were pretty basic: worship God, talk to God, read God's Word, spend time with people who also love God... when we do that we realize that the best things about camp, don't stay at camp... and the flame keeps burning.

Maybe the answer for us who can get caught up in the job or profession of youth ministry, or even just the potential monotony of this journey with Christ whether in ministry or not, is just as basic. I don't think I have ever had enough discipline to live that out the way I should... and in my addiction to "big wow" things, I look for something else - but I'm beginning to think it really is just as basic as that.

I think I am also learning that staying connected to the heart of what I am doing is necessary for me as well. As much as I love to lead, cast vision, manage, and delegate... those things can cause me to forget why I am in ministry... So periodically, I need to have lunch with a student, go with them to camp, or maybe even lead a small group - instead of just telling volunteers how to do it. Unless I want to crush and cap our youth ministry, I can't be connected to every student... but to keep going, I do need to keep from allowing myself to completely disconnect... And to keep that flame burning, I've got to have the discipline to stick to those basics.