Camp 09

As I was driving home last Friday from Ridgecrest and reflecting on how God's had been at work in the lives of our students (and sponsors) at Camp 09, a passage from one of Paul's letters to the church at Corinth kept coming to mind: "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)

This morning at First Baptist Nashville, five students came forward during the invitation to let the congregation know how God had been working in their lives. Three students made public professions of faith, one rededicated her life to Christ, and another announced he felt called to full-time Christian service in missions. I am grateful to God for this spiritual fruit, but I am aware that the seeds for these decisions were planted long ago. Parents, siblings, Sunday School teachers, missions leaders, discipleship teachers, choir leaders, and countless others have invested in these students' spiritual journeys through the years. Some have planted the seeds, others have watered them, and now those of us who were at Camp 09 were privileged to see the seeds bear fruit. God made the seeds grow - we didn't.

As a mom, I extend my deepest thanks to all the people who have planted seeds in my son's life and watered them during the 15 years that my family has been a part of the First Baptist Nashville family. As a student ministry volunteer, I am grateful for all the people who I have had the privilege of serving alongside in God's field. God has been gracious, and I am grateful beyond measure.