Matthew 22:1-5
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come."Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'But they paid no attention and went off - one to his field, another to his business.
Pow Wow 2010 occurred last week and I signed up for it the moment I knew about it. Even though it is one of the many annual rangers camps, I am really glad that I'm able to attend it. Simply because it is such a great blessing to camp together and work alongside different folks from different churches but with the common purpose of seeing the kids have fun and also for them to have an encounter with God.
This Pow Wow was particularly special because I did not get to attend the last Pow Wow as a full camper as I chose to save my leave and go back to work and attend it for a day. As I slogged at work, I felt the massive regret of not being part of the laughter and joy of the kids. Work was really endless and meaningless in comparison.
As the years go, each camp is getting more physically taxing, especially when the bed I slept on was so uncomfortable and I had limited sleep because of the late night debrief and waking up early due to my F&B duties. Every morning, my eyes would puff up and I'll have stiff muscles. But it was all redeemed at night as I celebrate in worship and soak in the goodness of God. It's like that for every camp and I know that every camper who attended it really enjoyed themselves.
Sadly, it is also a truth that every of such camps would see its fair share of people who missed out on the action. As I stand at the night services and witness the move of God, my heart breaks because I really wished that my ERs and other younger rangers had chose to make a wiser choice to be there. If only I could convince them otherwise to come because it is such a shame that so many just look at life and then choose to live life according to their secular commitments. To them, a camp is just another camp. But is it really?
The question may seem easy to answer, but when you look at the parable which Christ shared, we see otherwise. Every camp offers a service where God desires to meet and embrace His disciples. How often we ignore the banquet of God's blessing for us when we neglect to discern between spending quality time in His presence and instead elect to strive to do stuff on studies, work and secular things which life comprises of. Such is important, but they never end and often choke us of the joy of our lives.
Over the years, as I witness the same scenario replay itself and people electing to miss a life changing encounter with God, I can only hope that I can inspire more of my rangers and young commanders to catch the vision that there really isn't anywhere and anytime better than to be found in the camp service being ministered by God. This is really all I have lived for and all I aspire to do. For all the invitations that I am given to attend the master's banquet, I will always seek to make myself available. I pray you will too.
M.
"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." (Psalms 84:10)
