What does a camp staff do when there’s no camp? Sure, there’s some weekend events, but then what? We like to laugh every once in a while about guesses that people have offered us: no, we don’t sit in the snack shop and eat soft pretzels, nor do we make personalized lattes in our coffee shop every morning. We don’t even race our gators around the campground. Now let’s be clear, we have our fun, but in reality, we put in a lot of work to improve camp when the grounds get quiet. We develop ideas, host private church groups, and work to improve our facilities. The offseason is a golden opportunity for us to move forward in numerous ways. There is so much to be done, and as the summer inches closer we as a staff can begin to wonder if we’ll be able to get everything done in time.
In my preparation for this summer, I came across Zechariah 4, where the prophet delivers a message to Zerubbabel, the governor of struggling Jerusalem and the project manager rebuilding the temple. The Israelites have begun returning from a prolonged captivity, working to rebuild their capital amidst hostile neighbors and subtle infighting. Priority one for Zerubbabel is rebuilding the temple, God’s residence among His people (Haggai 1:3-11). I can’t begin to imagine how tall the task was. The temple had been looted, thoroughly destroyed, and then left in ruins for decades. This wasn’t a one-episode DIY remodel. It’s reasonable to think that this was a multiyear job. As I read through the passage one phrase stood out to me – “the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10). As I envision the work that Zerubbabel had to do, I picture entire days spent cleaning up trash, reorganizing materials, and other miniscule tasks. There had to be discouragement. The job was daunting, and progress was probably sluggish. But God guarantees that Zerubbabel will finish the job (4:9). How did he get it done? Lots of days filled with small things. Hundreds of “days of small things,” scorned by others, accumulated into a great work.
When it comes to camp ministry, the work in front of us seems unending. A day of hard work, or even a week, seems to make a small, insignificant dent in the list. But that’s what progress in ministry looks like. Rarely are there huge, monumental steps. Realistically, it is the “day of small things,” one after another, stacking together to move us towards visible progress. No wonder Paul tells us not to be “weary in well doing” more than once (Galatians 6:9, II Thessalonians 3:13). We can be confident that God will uphold and work through us as we submit to His will, and His promise to Zerubbabel is one that provides reassurance to us as we prepare for this summer.
Speaking of small things, we are always interested in letting fellow believers come alongside us and help in our efforts. We have a number of dedicated volunteers who weed flowerbeds, repair vehicles, jump in the kitchen, and help out whenever and wherever they can. If you’re interested in having a hand in our ministry, reach out to us at staff@campjoy.org and we can set something up.
