From Generation to Generation

There’s a famous quote from the book of Esther where Mordecai, her uncle and guardian, says to her, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther has found herself in a unique situation. She has been plucked from her home and her people, crowned queen, and brought to live in the palace of the king in Persia. When her people, the Jews, are threatened, she is the only person in a position to advocate for them before the king. It could cost her her life. But it could also save her people. God placed her in that moment, in that time, for that very reason.

This summer, as a camp, we talked about the generations who have come before us and how God, from the very beginning of time, was always working to bless us and the world. When God called Abraham to leave his family and go to a new land, God promised that Abraham would be blessed so that the rest of the world might be blessed. When Joseph was sold into slavery and thrown into prison, God was still working in his life. He was placed there so that he might save the Egyptians and the Israelites from starvation during the drought to come. When the shepherd David fought off bears and lions to protect his sheep, it was all to prepare him so that he could one day fight the giant Goliath and deliver his people from the Philistines. When Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable, it was so that the Savior of the world could come as the rescuer for us all. God has never left us alone. God has never stopped fighting for us, loving us, and walking alongside us. From the beginning of the world to now, from generation to generation, we are all a part of the story of God, of love like a river pouring forth so that the whole world might be blessed, might be loved, might be saved.

Camp Wyoming was founded in 1960. Farmers and church members donated land, finances, and time so that generations of people could come to this place of sanctuary to grow, to learn, and to experience the love of God in creation. This summer, and each summer before it, are part of their legacy. They took the blessings God had given them and they used them to bless generation after generation. For many families, Camp Wyoming is a part of their history. Grandparents and parents and children have all attended Camp Wyoming. For others, this may have been their first summer, but they were welcomed into the community all the same. This camp is evidence of the people of God living out their call in that moment, in that time, so that all who come would be welcomed and loved.

The kids learned this summer about the generations who have come before them in the Bible and even some of the missionaries and Christian leaders who lived lives of blessing so that all might know the love of God. And as they left, they were invited to join in the story of God to bless the world and to pour forth Christ’s transformative love into their churches, schools, families, and neighborhoods. Camp Wyoming is one part of God’s plan to change generations and to raise up individuals who will love the world like Jesus loved. God is still active in our world and our lives today, and we have each been placed here for such a time as this, so that the whole world will know how deep, how high, how long, and how high is the love of God for them.