God Equips Us When We Call Upon Him
My name is Maggie and I had the opportunity to serve at Joni and Friends Family Retreat in New Mexico this summer. This is the third camp I have been able to attend. Although every time I have gone to camp it has been incredible, there was something special about this week that really impacted me and helped me grow in my faith.
Before I dive into the different ways that I saw God working in my life that week, I want to talk about the family I got to work with and how I believe God specifically placed them in my life.
Twelve kids, nine of whom are affected by a disability – talk about an extraordinary family! Consistently, my favorite memories from the week were watching these kids interact with one another and witnessing the ease at which they supported and loved one another.
The little girl I was paired with as a buddy for the week had cerebral palsy. When I was reading over her chart before the start of the week, I was feeling overwhelmed and concerned that I was not going to be able to meet her needs. I had to ask the camp nurse what ataxia and aspiration meant, and then I became even more fearful of the week to come. In my mind, I was picturing a very fragile child who would be unable to participate in any of the planned activities for the week.
“It is laughable how wrong I was about the capabilities of this child.”
Although she used a wheelchair, her parents told me that her physical therapist had been encouraging her to walk more. As soon as she got out of the car, she took my hand and we walked all over that camp. From that moment on, she continued to surprise me throughout the week. She was so brave – way braver than I was as a nine-year-old!
We met up with her older sister one morning who convinced her to ride the forty-foot swing known as The Screamer. I was terrified at the idea of Ellie climbing into the swing for fear that she would get hurt or be too scared to go. Once again, this was an opportunity for God to teach me a lesson that people are often so much more capable than we give them credit. We did the swing not once, but two times in a row and I am sure she would have done it five more if we had time to stay.
Another amazing thing about this little girl was how much joy she had. Every morning when I would meet her family for breakfast, she would turn around and give me the biggest grin and that smile would last all day while we went on different adventures. It was amazing how easily the two of us connected and how she trusted me to care for her so completely throughout the week.
“God equips us when we call upon Him.”
One of the biggest realizations I had that week is that God equips us when we call upon Him. I quickly understood that in my strength alone, I would not be able to physically or emotionally support this child in the way that she needed. Luckily for me, God likes to work best when we are outside our comfort zone. I think that just makes it more obvious how quickly He answers our prayers and how much He desires to work in our lives.
Another thing God is working on in my life is being willing to ask for advice from those who are more knowledgeable than I as well as being humble enough to ask for help when I need it. It was uncanny how many times I would think “I wish someone was here to watch Ellie for five minutes so I can change into my swimsuit” or “I wish I had a snack for Ellie” or, and this happened often in the dry heat of Capitan, “I wish I had a tissue for my tenth bloody nose this week” and I would turn around to have a leader walk up to me and ask if they could help with anything. Not only did God give me the joy and strength to sustain me throughout the week, but He provided a bonus gift in an awesome team of people serving alongside me who were able to help me in times when I needed them the most.
Now that camp is over, I am excited to see how God helps me use the lessons I learned at camp and the experiences I had to impact people here in my community. I am leaving for Physical Therapy school in a few weeks and already had the opportunity to talk to my roommate about volunteering at Joni and Friends next year. I am so honored to be able to serve in such an amazing ministry and am inspired by the people I get to work with each year. I am serving at another Family Retreat in a few weeks, so please be praying that our camp, as well as all of the other camps, respite events, and outreach opportunities are able to impact the people God places in our lives!
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At Family Retreat, families are cared for, encouraged, and rejuvenated in an accessible camp environment. The success of our Family Retreats depends largely on having enough “helping hands” to serve the special needs families who attend, and we need your help!
