by Mick Schatz
ROSCOMMON, MI – Summer has finally arrived here at Bambi Lake. It’s refreshing to hear the sound of children, teenagers, and adults splashing in the lake, screaming as they fly down the Bambi Booyah water slide, or just enjoying the many activities available here at the camp.
The snow is gone and the grass is growing-fast. Projects put on hold during the long winter have resumed as well as new projects beginning. We know summer is here in Michigan because of the orange barrels that seem to pop up everywhere you drive. Here at Bambi Lake it always seems as if we are UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
There is always maintenance to be done or projects to be started and completed. Every day seems to bring with it the promise of new opportunities to repair or build. Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at the seemingly endless projects can be a battle. Fortunately, we have a great staff who can prioritize and accomplish the tasks at hand.
So let me ask you a question - “Have you ever experienced this in your own life?” Have you ever felt as if you were constantly UNDER CONSTRUCTION? I have and do feel this way every day. I’m breathing six feet above the ground.
The good news is that we should feel this way, if we are following Christ in our life journey. In his letter of encouragement to the believers at Philippi, Paul puts it this way - “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6.
This truth should bring us great joy and encouragement each day we are alive. God is constantly shaping and molding us to be more like Him. This means we are in His process and He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.
God is continually allowing situations in our life to strengthen our character, and remind us of our need to totally depend upon Him. Growing and maturing spiritually requires constant maintenance and attention.
And just like here at Bambi, sometimes deconstruction has to happen before reconstruction can happen. Out with the old and in with the new is typically the only solution. This is especially true in our lives. God has to take out the old habits, faulty attitudes and toxic sinfulness and build something completely brand new and beautiful.
At our most recent WildWeek Youth Camp we had 23 students experience God’s saving grace in their lives - out with the old in with the new!
Just as being UNDER CONSTRUCTION is making Bambi a better and stronger camp, Christ is also transforming us more and more into His image through his construction on us. It may seem endless in the moment, but Christ has promised to complete us so we are perfected for His return. As for Bambi, I know God’s hand in this camp, and He is shaping and molding us to have a greater impact on this world for His Kingdom. So for now, I’m happy to be UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake.