Pray First Updates

“And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” -Mark 6:31a

Summer is nearly upon us, and with it comes all kinds of exciting activities and family vacations. Calendars are quickly booked with cookouts, beach trips, and family vacations. There are flights to catch, bags to pack, meals to cook…wait, wasn’t summer supposed to be relaxing??

Mark 6:30-32 records an account that speaks to this feeling of overwhelm. 

Just having returned from a time of ministry, the disciples were anxious to tell Jesus about the preaching and miracles they had done (v.30). Everyone had something to say, and crowds of followers were gathering to watch (v.33). We read on and see that all this buzz left no time even for them to eat!

Jesus’ response to this situation is unexpected, but significant: “And He said unto them, ‘Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while’”

But shouldn’t the disciples be excited about what they had seen? People were coming to faith and being healed!

The disciples were right to be joyful, but Jesus knew the limits of our humanity.  and reminded them to partake of the blessing of rest.

This short passage is an important one to meditate on as we move into this season of busyness. Summer is great, but we tend to get ahead of ourselves and waste its blessing by rushing in and getting burned out. 

So before you finish planning your schedule this year, let’s meditate on this passage and remember to set aside intentional time to pause, get into a private place, and sit in the presence of God for awhile. 

“Come and rest.” What a wise and wonderful invitation from our great Savior.

PRAISES

• The driveway entrance has now been paved! Friends driving minivans and campers know how rough the potholes were, and we are thankful for the Lord’s provision and the smooth work of the paving company.
• Our first prom went very well; all 28 young people (and even the chaperones) enjoyed the evening and look forward to coming back to camp for another, and some plan to return as campers and volunteers!
• The animal barn is occupied again! Visiting friends of the Schneeweiss family are sharing their friendly goats, chickens, rabbits, and dogs with us for a few months.

PRAY WITH US

• For more families to register for family camp. The week takes a lot of planning, and we pray that as many families as possible can be blessed by it.
• Energy and creativity for our staff & volunteers as we plan our events and prepare to host guest groups next weekend and in a few weeks.