{"id":764,"date":"2016-07-07T01:15:13","date_gmt":"2016-07-07T01:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=764"},"modified":"2016-07-19T20:43:51","modified_gmt":"2016-07-19T20:43:51","slug":"confessions-of-a-kids-camp-counselor-tracking-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=764","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a kids camp counselor: Tracking God"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"animaltrack\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A monster white-tail buck roams the woods of Camp Harmony, a Wesleyan-based campground in western Pennsylvania near Johnstown.<\/p>\n

So does a raccoon, opossum and a wild turkey.<\/p>\n

During the last week of June, I enjoyed a week of camping as a counselor of the Western PA. Wesleyan Kids camp \u2026 my fourth year on the staff of a program dedicated to taking children away from their plugged-in world and inserting them into nature, filling the electronics void with the inspired Word of God and numerous outdoor adventures designed to push their limits and conquer fears.<\/p>\n

The experience is always an amazing journey. There is something special that happens each year at camp that helps these children grow in their faith while building new lifelong friendships and exploring the world around them.<\/p>\n

Part of that \u201cworld\u201d included a muddy trail between our sleeping quarters and the dining hall. It was a path we crossed several times a day, and it offered an amazingly cool object lesson \u2013 each trip we\u2019d check the trail closely for new signs of wildlife.<\/p>\n

Stamped in plain view in the thick mud one morning was a large deer track. The pure size alone was a clear indication that this was no run-of-the-mill whitetail \u2013 it could have been a borderline elk or cow. Except, it wasn\u2019t. The tread was a clear-cut sign that a massive buck had crossed the path not long before our trip to breakfast.<\/p>\n

On an evening hike, we noticed two odd, yet distinct, set of wildlife tracks. One clearly was from a nice-sized raccoon. The other featured toe splayed at odd angles \u2013 an attribute of an opossum track. On a different occasion, a set of turkey tracks crossed the path.<\/p>\n

It became a game for the five young men in my group. Who would find the freshest tracks first? What animals would they be from? And, what lesson could be drawn from the simple task of scanning mud for new signs of wildlife?<\/p>\n

You see, we never did see the monster buck, the raccoon, the opossum or the turkey, and yet we knew they were there. The tracks they left behind were obvious beacons to their existence.<\/p>\n

It is very much like God. None of us see Him directly. Unfortunately for many non-believers, seeing is necessary for belief, and that isn\u2019t how God works. At least not on the surface.<\/p>\n

He does leave a variety of signs for each of us on our daily walks. A beautiful sunrise, a random act of kindness, an answer to prayer. If we make an effort to see these signs as they are meant to be \u2013 as distinct ways to see God in a world devoted to looking the other way. They are his animal tracks left behind in the miry mud of our lives to encourage us to fight the good fight and spread His message that He is real and His message of salvation needs to be heard.<\/p>\n

There are many references in the Bible to signs of God. From the fire called down by Elijah onto a water-soaked altar to a burning bush. As believers who follow God by faith, we shouldn\u2019t really need His signs to stay the course \u2013 but He provides them anyway.<\/p>\n

What God signs have you noticed today? How can you use them to inspire someone in your life who hasn\u2019t fully accepted Christ into his\/her heart?<\/p>\n

Remember, we don\u2019t need to see the deer to know it lives nearby \u2013 and God offers the same comfort to those willing to seek those signs with the enthusiasm of a 10-year-old hiking along a muddy trail.<\/p>\n

Check out\u00a0each part of the\u00a0\u201cConfessions of a kids camp counselor\u201d series by clicking below. More posts will be on the way soon:<\/p>\n

Tracking God<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

Attraction to distraction<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

Degrees of deviation<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

Route of the root<\/a><\/p>\n

What we see and hear<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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