Hi Ginger! I just got back from an amazing weekend at camp where God did some amazing things in my heart. How do you keep “the campfire burning” after you go back to real life? -T

Hi, T!  You always send timely questions!  The last time I talked about something like this I had just returned from a week of camp.  We explored how the elements that encouraged you to worship (the body of believers, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God) are all things that aren’t just for camp or retreats – but things that are accessible to us all year long.

I just returned from another retreat and I’m once again thinking of the young women who attended and praying that they would also continue to grow… that the fire that was stoked this weekend would not burn down to embers.

So, how do you keep any fire stoked?  (I knew 10 years of Girl Scouting would come into play on this blog one day!)

Continue to add fuel to the fire.  Sometimes a spiritual “high” can look a lot like someone spraying lighter fluid onto an already lit fire.  It goes crazy for a brief moment and then it dies back down.  If you want to keep a steady fire burning it’s going to take care and attention.  You need to be prepared to consistently feed yourself fuel and kindling.  What’s the fuel?

Eat the Word –“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, 
for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.”  Jeremiah 15:16, NIV

Stay Connected –  “We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.” Hebrews 10:25, GWT

I know it sounds almost too simple to be true, but I honestly think those two components are critical!  I know that post summer-camp, I used to fill up my journal with memories from camp.  I wrote about the talks I heard, the songs I sang, and the relationships I formed.  But all of the things I treasured: godly wisdom, worship, and friendships were also available to me back at home.

Remember, a relationship that’s just built on feeling isn’t built for the long haul.  It’s exciting to hear that your experience stoked and cultivated your spiritual flame.  I would challenge you not to spend your time trying to make your relationship feel the way it did during camp.  Instead I would encourage you to keep knowing God in a more intimate way through prayer and through His Word.

Let’s meet back here tomorrow and we will talk about this some more.

You tell me, readers.  How would you answer T’s question?

Following,
Ginger