The place where I can be comfortable and rest.
The place where I am free to be myself.
The place where the mom and the dad are both present and love each other.
The place where there is plenty of food, and many meals are enjoyed together as a family.
The place that contains the people I love most in the world--the people who love me, too...even when I act unlovable.
The place where its okay to make mistakes, because there is always forgiveness.
The place where I am always loved, and there is always grace, and God is always there.
I know these things about home because I experienced them growing up (thanks Mom and Dad!). The home atmosphere I grew up wasn't perfect, but it pointed me to Jesus, the perfect Savior. Now, as parents of our own three boys, Jared and I hope to create a similar home for them--a home where they are always loved, there is a healthy balance of discipline and grace, and God is always there.
The Bible speaks of home as being the Christian's ultimate, eternal dwelling place with God. Our homes on earth ought to point us toward our heavenly home in every way possible, giving us glimpses of God's reign over a place and a people. Most importantly, our hearts are to be homes for Christ. Dwelling places where He is free to unload His spirit and truth for the purpose of glorifying Himself in and through our lives.
Recently I have been struck by just how many people consider The Oaks to be "home" in one way or another. Thousands of campers, guests, summer staff, volunteers, and permanent staff have called this place home, even if it has just been for a week at a time. And it's home to them not because of the wonderful accommodations, amazing food, and goose-bumpy songs. These are all great things, but The Oaks is so much more than physical buildings, facilities, and programs. It is a place that is saturated with God's presence and love. It is not a perfect home, but it points to the One who is. From the breathtaking views to the hearts of the staff, God's spirit is at work--molding, renewing, and transforming.
A total of 437 kids made The Oaks their home this summer during our summer camp programs. (If you add guest groups and family campers, the total comes to roughly 4,700 people!) Many of the kids that attended summer camp have no concept of a stable, loving home. Many of them come from homes where...
Fear, insecurity, and unrest dominate the atmosphere.
The mom and the dad are very rarely together...dad is often not in the picture.
Meals are not regular or something the family does together.
Love is conditional, and not something to count on.
Making mistakes leads to destructive consequences.
Its hard to be yourself and have fun because of a burden of responsibility to other family members.
At The Oaks, these kids experience--some for the first time--glimpses of a genuine home. They experience safety in their physical environment, as well as in their emotional environment. They are free to have fun and be themselves. Their stomachs are never hungry. They experience the presence of God through His awesome creation. They try new things, facing certain fears and realizing their capacity to overcome more serious fears. They are loved even when they make mistakes. Most importantly, they encounter their loving Father--the One who holds the keys to their True Home. Where love never fails and grace is always there. A home they can carry in their hearts wherever they go, changing the way they live and the way they love.
Because when we let Jesus make His dwelling in our hearts, we become a source of genuine home to all of those around us.
A little sanctuary art Thou to me;
O Jesus Christ, beloved, I live with Thee;
My heart has found its everlasting home,
Its sure abiding place where'er I roam.
(E. May Grimes)
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