I’m back from camp and like every year I leave energized and spiritually-enthused. There was a little more drama to deal with this year than in years-past but overall I’ll look back on the week and remember, not the drama, but those who did exhibit a Christ-like spirit. There was a little boy at camp, three-and-a-half years old. He’s the son of my best friend and his name is Deacon.
Deacon spent the week showing exactly what it means to be a Christian. He sang loudly, prayed earnestly, studied seriously, and served constantly. Throughout the week you could find him riding around on his little battery-powered jeep, picking up trash, or leading songs and prayers. Every morning, while the director inspected the cabins to make sure everything was neat and tidy, Deacon would accompany him…except for one day when he asked if he could go to Bible class instead. There he sat, listening intently and asking/answering questions. It reminded me of the young Jesus, who sat at the feet of the scholars and marveled them with his questions (Luke 2).
Deacon isn’t a Christian yet but at three years old he’s putting many of us to shame. He is exactly what the Lord was thinking of when He said to let the little ones come to Him, because they are the kind of people the Kingdom belongs to (Luke 18). Of course Deacon’s name comes from the word meaning “servant.” Some deacons in the Lord’s Kingdom are specially-chosen, meeting specific qualifications to do the task appointed to them. Some, on the other hand, are just willing-servants, who look for what they can do and the help they can offer, and then get to work for the Lord.
That’s Deacon.
May we all find the childlike faith, commitment, and serving-spirit that little Deacon Blair had at Camp last week!
~ Matthew