Campfire Fellowship with God

Saturday was the youth leadership retreat for my church at a local state park. We spent the day making camp, swimming, and I took my son Will and two of the youth four-wheeling in my jeep. Saturday evening we had dinner and moved to a conference room for training from our Youth Pastor. As counselors, we were there to help the kids and chaperone, but the goal of this session was for the kids to tell us what they wanted their ministry to be. Our group of 12 had some brilliant ideas and we plan to build the group stronger this year and reach new heights.

All through the evening session, Will (my son) and the Youth Pastor's little boy played in the floor. They had a ball, but got a little loud as the 9pm hour rolled around. I decided that Will and I would head to camp, get the fire started, and just wait on everyone to arrive. I left my wife at the lodge to help, and off we went.

When we arrived at our primitive campsite it was pitch dark so I told him, "First the bug spray, then the fire." We got lathered up in "Off" and set out to get the fire pit ready. I gathered up a pile of sticks with the aid of my reading light, piled them up, inserted several wadded up pieces of paper, struck a match, and voila.....Campfire! One of the "Manly Gifts" that I do possess is the ability to quickly make a raging fire whenever needed.

So, the stage is set.....it's 9:40pm and Will and I are sitting about 8' from a raging campfire in a nylon folding chair staring at the fire. He asked me to tell him stories so I did. One hour later, I had told him every Disney movie that I could think of and was starting on the Bible stories when I noticed him dosing off. I started singing hymns and he went to sleep. This was a beautiful moment: stary clear night, 75 degrees, campfire, the only sound is the crickets singing, and I'm holding my son that is sound asleep. That's when I started praying. I prayed as I held my son that God would first help me to raise him to be a Godly man by giving me wisdom. Second, I prayed that God would use Will in a mighty way. And Last, I prayed for my wife and her callings and her big calling as his mother.

At about 10:30, I took Will to the tent and tucked him into his sports sleeping bag. I returned to the fire and continued praying while looking up at the stars. I prayed for the youth and the other counselors (that still hadn't returned). My back started hurting so I layed on the nearby pick-nic table as I prayed. I felt God's presence in a big way. He was all around me. I prayed and asked him to continue directing me and guide/push me down the paths he has planned for me. I prayed for the new ministry I have started with one of my brothers (unchained men's ministries) and asked his hand to be on it. I got emotional at one point and that is when it happened. I lay there still, staring at the night sky when a brilliant flash from a shooting star appeared overhead! It was as if God was giving me a confirmation that he had heard me. It was a powerful time of prayer and thanksgiving with the Father.

About 11:15, the whole gang showed up. I transferred the "Fire Tending Stick" to one of my fellow counselors, kissed my wife, and off to bed I went. Of course I didn't fall asleep for a while because I was so wound up from praying. I thanked God for all he had shown me and started to come down from the spiritual high I was on. However, I didn't fall asleep until somewhere around 2am. But, that was due to a group of 6 teenage boys around the campfire just being boys, created in the image of our wild God.