Held Captive by the Should's

Many times, my life is dictated by the things I should do. When I was in school it was, "I should do my homework now, I should go to bed before 2 a.m., I should be practicing right now" and on and on. These are generally good ideas to do anyway, but my life was quickly filled with the things I should do and not the things I could do. Yes, I should start writing my paper more than a week before it's due, but I could be spending time with friends and taking advantage of an opportunity to build relationships that will never be available again. And when I was doing what I could instead of the things I should, I was filled with guilt.

My first prison break from the "should's" was when I decided to start reading Harry Potter. [I haven't read #7, if you have, don't be a spoiler!] I lived on a college campus with a very nice academic library. I had access to a lot of scholarly materials. However, I decided to take a stand against what I should read and what I could read. So I read a Harry Potter, a book that had captivated the pre-teen audience. It was an amazing experience. Yes, the books are very engaging, but I found a great freedom in doing something I wanted to do instead of doing something "They" say I should.

"They". Who is this illusive "they" that seems to control what I do with my own time? I don't know!! But whoever "they" are, they have an extreme amount of influence over my decisions. Do I really mean to let them have so much control? Did they earn the right to have such an influence or did I just take a passive role in my own life and allow "they who shall not be named" take over? Shouldn't Jesus' teachings have more influence over me than a group of stubborn ideals with no credible foundation?

I think about this as I program activities for the upcoming year. Am I doing these things because I should or because I could? I find the best way to break free from the should's is to simply ask "Why" or "Why not?"
We are going to start at 9:00 a.m. with a speaker.
Why?
Because that's how we always do it. That's just how things should work!
But why? We could start with some games to get people relaxed!
Because that's not how things should be done!

Matthew 5:43 says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbors and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Jesus could have also said, "You have heard it said that you should, 'Love your neighbors and hate your enemy.' But why? You could love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!"

My goal is to not do what I should.
My goal is to do what I could and see where God leads me!

A weekly blog!

Greetings!

My name is Johanna and I'm the Program Director at Crooked Creek Christian Camp. *Sigh* I think every email for the last month has started out like that! And yet, I am still realizing the full power of that statement. I am no longer a student. I am no longer just trudging from class to class, and doing work because I have to. I am a Program Director. My responsibility at work is to plan events and activites for all ages that will delight and entertain AND bring them closer to the Great Creator. This morning already, I've emailed pastors in the surrounding areas, mapped out a schedule for 2008 and read an article or two from the camp magazine, "In Site". It's not even lunch time yet! I just can't believe I'm getting paid to do this!

I'm not going to tell the story of how I came to be a year-round staffer at camp, but trust me, it's a wonderful story. However, it's not MY story. It's a God story in which I get to play the leading lady. To sum it up into one statement, this job is an answer to a prayer I hadn't even dared to whisper.

Enough background for now. The point of this blog is to provide a little glimpse into the world of camp beyond just summer kid's camp. It is a whole new world to me and one I enjoy immensly. Right now, camp is being enveloped in the transitional season of fall. The leaves are changing in all sorts of firery colors and falling to the ground to open up a window to see beyond the woods. A family of deer is seen daily just grazing. And just in case all was not beautiful enough, God threw in a perfect blue sky to complete the fall day. Personally, I am a spring-lover, but on days like this, I can't help but say that THIS is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!

I will update this blog weekly. I hope to provide a glimpse into the many Adventures at Crooked Creek, but also share with you the lessons of my heart. God is here at camp.