The kids arrived Sunday, many without toothbrushes or sleeping bags — another ordinary start to camp. We have around one hundred campers this years and over one hundred staff. That’s a good ratio!
Opportunity Camp has a tendency to work its way into your blood. I’m always grateful to see familiar staff faces, many of whom have been coming to camp far longer than me — and that’s been fifteen years on my part. They come from NYC, Texas, Seattle, Portland, and, of course, California. And now Colorado.
Our theme for this is simple: The Life of Jesus. It’s my task to tell the story of Jesus to kids ranging in age from eight to sixteen. Each day I’m telling a different part of the story, beginning this morning with the birth of Jesus.
I shared with them the ordinary circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. How his mom rode a donkey into town. How all the hotels were booked and no vacancies could be found. How Jesus was born in a barn, surrounded by animals. Ordinary. Common. Not the way you would expect a King to arrive.
Here’s the good news: God still shows up in the ordinary things of life. Donkey, barns, meetings, commutes, dinner, and other ordinary tasks and activities. He’s there; we just have to be looking.