Rejuvenation.

re·ju·ve·nate \ri-ˈjü-və-ˌnāt\

To restore to a former state; make fresh or new again.

“I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don't you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.” - Isaiah 43:19

Camp OASIS is meant as a time for our kids to get out of their homes and current miserable situations and have a time to experience these "streams in the desert." However, what is often overlooked is that it’s also a time for the adults to have similar experiences. The last night of OASIS, there was a worship service that was so full of energy and God that it was really indescribable. I will let this short clip speak for itself:

That experience began the break down process of the spiritual blockades I had been feeling in my life. After Camp OASIS, I traveled with a friend up to North Carolina. I was able to reconnect with friends I had not seen in about ten years. It was a time of getting to know each other all over again. We are both people trying to navigate this world of ministry, being strong women, wanting to make a difference, constantly wondering about our own spirituality, where the church is headed as a whole, and where we fit into it all. It was a weekend filled with great conversation, great, laughter, and great tears. On Saturday, we traveled up to a town called Blowing Rock. As I sat looking out on this view:

I thought, “is this the kingdom of Heaven?” ...it certainly looks like it to me. But, as I began mulling over and talking over this philosophy, I realized it is not. At least, not for me. Although it was surely the most beautiful scenery I have seen in a long while, I was reminded of the passage from Luke12:34: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Even though I had a great love for each and every person in that mountain town and even though I had some of the best company I could have ever asked for, I was finally able to reach my point of rejuvenation. I was able to come to the conclusion that while this scenery was incredible, I believe the Kingdom of Heaven lies in Florida City, because that is where both my heart and treasure lie. Sometimes being able to take two steps back and look at the work I am doing from up on the mountain top, I am able to travel back into the valley to continue my work, rejuvenated and transformed, just as my children were from their “mountain top” experience at OASIS.

Where is your treasure?