Keep The Fire Burning

Ever been to Church Camp?

We go every year, well, I shouldn’t include me in that.  

I go to work on projects and up until this year, to visit my wife and kids who have been unofficial full-time staff since they were born.

Our family is very involved in a Christian camp.  

My wife and her siblings grew up attending (as did their parents) eventually working on staff and then returning to be the staff the last 15 or 20 years now.

I never went to camp as a kid other than camping with the scouts or at the annual jamboree, and that I never cared much for.  

But not my wife.  She and her family Love camp. And now my children love camp.  For many reasons I suppose but no matter the reason, they spend most of the summer in a small county in Ohio on a 40-acre plot of land having the time of their lives.  

No phones, no internet, and at least once in the summer—no power and no worries. 

They click, they bond, the form new and rekindle old friendships and for one week, 6 days, 16 meals, 10 snack times and countless memories, they get lost in relationship with each other and God. 

Each week a new age group of students come in while the outgoing group leaves.  Ready and eager to take their newfound energy back to their little part of the world.  

But then something happens.  

Very soon after they return home, the summer church camp vibe or high, wears off.  What started as I’m so on fire for The Lord, very quickly falls back into the old ways, old patterns, habits, and “normal” life.  

For the past 6 days they were in a camp isolated from the world, in constant relationship with each other, doing fun games, worship and prayer together.  Then they go home, back to the real world and get stuck with the same habits the same friend group, playing on your phone, wondering why things didn’t change.  

Sound familiar?   

It’s not just camp.  Ever been to a business conference and come back thinking you can set your business, or sales or team on fire (not literally) but nothing happens, and your fire doesn’t catch and soon goes out altogether.  

Why do we think that we can change the world without changing first the things that get in the way?   

You just came from an expo, or a conference or training event or camp, where you were with like minded individuals.  People who uplifted and encouraged you, poured into you and allowed you to pour into them. 

You were isolated with them, out of touch from your normal way of life and invigorated with a new way.  

So why is it so hard when you return? 

Because you haven’t recreated that environment.  

You haven’t changed those things that distract, deny, and defeat your goal. You have fallen back into the old ways, expecting things to be different.  

That my friends, is the very definition of insanity. 

If you are not changing your, habits, your activities, your friends’ groups, or putting down the video games, turning off the phone or the tv and working on the goals you want to achieve, the goals you created with so much excitement, the goals that lit a fire within you – nothing will change!  

Not only will nothing change, but it will also seem like nothing you do matters.  And your fire will go out.  

So, before I ramble on too much, think of this:  if you want something to change – be the change.  

Create the environment!  

Find the people who are like minded, who can uplift and encourage you, strengthen you and call you out (in love) when you are being an ass. 

Then together create an environment to succeed.  

Jesus had his 12 and his 3.  David had his mighty men. Who do you have?  Who can you partner with for your dreams?

When you change your environment, you may just change your thinking and the fire that burns will get bigger and brighter and attract others to it.  

Don’t believe me?  Try it! Who knows, you might surprise yourself.

Keep burning bright,

Mike

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