April 9, 2024

This morning I was meditating on Paul's words in his letter to Philemon.  He writes from a Roman prison cell about the value of the Body's ability - no, priority - to refresh each other in Christ. Though enchained, Paul recognizes that a source of his joy is this: "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people" (1:7). He speaks of sending Onesimus, his spiritual son, to continue the work that Paul began while still hoping to return to them, too. Paul calls upon the Body to refresh him once again, saying " I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ" (1:20).

Refresh my heart in Christ. Have we come to truly know the depths of its benefit?

What a profound notion that we can be so filled with the likeness and character of Jesus that we ourselves become an extension of His refreshing. We know that we'll never replace our individual and corporate need to draw directly from the source, Jesus Himself. Jesus alone is Jesus, and no man can replace Him. But we are called to replicate Him in His likeness, in His selflessness, in His faithfulness and above all, in His love - particularly toward His body.

I thought back to summer camp 2022. I briefly mentioned camp in "Streams in the Desert", but I will give you a bit more context here. When I was fired from my company in February 2022 I suddenly had an empty calendar and a hunger to serve Jesus wherever He'd lead. He lead me to the densely forested mountains of western Oregon, to a mountainside camp speckled with cabins and no shortage of children and laughter to fill them. My post would be with the summer staff as their live-in mentor. I would eat with them, serve with them, clean with them from sun up to sun down. And then I'd go back to my room in the basement and live with them. I was coming to lead them and disciple them. But I quickly learned that what they needed most was to be refreshed in Christ - in essence, to be loved and valued right where they were, regardless of their shortcomings, from a heart committed to continually show them Jesus.

I wrote the following note less than one week after my arrival to camp. My staff and I were largely strangers: I was still the mentor expecting hard work and responsibility, and they were the group of ragamuffin teenagers with wrinkled t-shirts and endless jokes. All of that changed in one day.

"I set out on a solo adventure tonight. Well, not entirely solo… Jesus, Janet - the camp 4WD mule - and I had a date with the sunset. With plenty of daylight left I headed up the mile long trail toward the top of the mountain where, I had been told, you could see for miles. I had one instruction echoing in my brain, simply “stay left”. I was at genuine risk for getting lost. Well, my epic climb was short lived and uneventful when the road that traveled to the left quickly had me driving right back down to camp. I’d made one giant left-hand circle. It was mountain NASCAR. I realized I had missed something but rather than turn around I just kept going, intending to circle back through my original starting point and get better directions. It wasn’t long into my extended left-hand turn that I saw the real reason why I’d set out with Janet: A playground full of teenage girls - teenage girls who, mind you, planned to spend the evening watching reruns but simply hadn’t made it inside yet. When they saw me rounding the corner with Janet they leaped from their swings and ran to me, giggling like little girls, eager to fill up every square inch of the empty seats beside me. Janet was still in motion when they started piling in. So now, with six seats full and one in the cargo space in the back, we set out back up the mountain. We made it to what we thought was our destination, up a short trail to the field with three crosses, but a curious trail beyond the field beckoned us to come. We went up the grassy path that lead to a flat alcove out of sight, coming to an abrupt halt at a narrow dead-end with a steep hill on one side. Janet was less than cooperative as I struggled to turn the too-tight steering wheel and finally get us out of there via a fourteen point turn. Austin Powers, baby! Their giggles increased with every forward and back and groan as I pulled at the steering wheel with all of my might, meanwhile the caboose passenger was fully buried in the bushes every time Janet went in reverse. We came down the mystery path and back to camp, rolling in laughter larger than the hills around us, myself included. Back at camp they quickly said “You didn’t make it up the mountain. There’s no way, you wouldn’t be back yet”. So we squeezed in to make room for our navigator, Lou, who looked to be well into in his 70s but had the life and zeal of a man in his prime. I drove while Lou gave me directions in my left ear from the back seat, practically yelling to compete with the girls’ uncontrollable laughter. The giggles grew with each foot we climbed up the mountain until we made it to the far field and back down a hidden trail to camp. It was as we descended for the final time that I heard a voice exclaim from the backseat: “Ok, now you’re doubly the best staff mentor ever!” Of course it warmed my heart to hear it, but it was them that needed to know it. Not that I am the best, but simply that I am HERE. Somewhere along that bumpy ride it clicked for them. During our adventure full of giggles, bumps, bushes and memories, the lightbulb turned on for those girls that I am here to LOVE ON THEM. My solo sunset ride was for the sake of the anything-but-solo journey. They learned they’re worth loving, and I learned that the wrong turn was the right way all along."

We will be fully loving well when we realize our capacity and our call to refresh others through our likeness in Christ. Our mission is people, not principles. Even in Jesus, we delight in the beauty of holiness not because of His policy but because of the person He is, the person whose presence changes us. He does not waiver in His holiness, and His leadership is perfect. But His love, His humility and His kindness are what flow to the depths of the human frame and cultivate our relationship with Him. What we have received from the Head of the Body is what we desperately need amongst the Body. I never slacked on my standards. The summer was full of re-dos, hard conversations and that one unfortunate day when they had to mop the dining hall three times. Day by day, I counseled, discipled, prayed and lead Bible studies. I could have merely told them of Christ, but God filled me with His Spirit that I may show them Christ. Of everything I could have given them it was the lovingkindness of Christ in me that refreshed, encouraged and brought joy. O Lord, that we may be wellsprings that refresh others in You.