“Get up. Go out. Give. Go back.”
This week we had our 11th-12th graders join us at Hopetown. We played on the lake, cooked meals together, celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast and Christmas with Secret Santa, and made lasting memories. Each morning and evening we came together in the living room to listen to Melissa share truth about who the Lord is and what He has invited us to do.
We started our week by heading to the movie theater to watch the newly released Spider- Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The next morning Melissa asked us what our takeaways from the movie were. We got to hear as campers shared their different interpretations of what the movie meant to them. This opened up the conversation to how our own unique insight can spark thoughts in others hearts and minds. It was then that Melissa shared with us a poem by Nashville songwriter: Tom Douglas, on his own insight and interpretation of Hopetown.
“Hopetown is an antidote for the poison...”
This idea really stood out to Melissa and she asked us to think about what in our life is a poison and what is the antidote.
The first antidote to the poison is laughter, as mentioned in the poem. When we are laughing it is an invitation to enjoy God’s grace; however, it is so simple that we often miss it.
Melissa then asked us to open up our Bibles to 1 Kings 18-19 where we read about Elijah’s encounter with the Lord. This scripture would propel our conversation for the rest of the week.
In 1 Kings 18:43-36 we see that in the midst of a storm the Lord gave “special strength” to Elijah allowing him to run faster than a chariot into the entrance of Jezreel. It was imagined that he was laughing and praising God at this moment; however, in 1 King 19 we find Elijah on the run from Jezebel who has threatened to kill him. He is afraid and his fear turns to depression. “I have had enough, Lord... Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” So easily our feelings of happiness and laughter can take a turn and we find ourselves stuck with our loneliness and anxiety and depression. It is here though that the Lord meets us and longs to comfort us.
Following a day filled with tube rides and lunch at a restaurant on the lake, we picked back up in 1 Kings 19 later that night. As the scripture continues, in the middle of his depression an angel of the Lord wakes Elijah from sleep and tells him to, “Get up and eat!” After Elijah eats he goes back to sleep and again the angel comes and tells him to, “Get up and eat some more.” After this second encounter Elijah gets up and God gives him the strength to travel for forty days and forty nights.
In our struggles God longs to strengthen us. He says, “I see you and I want you to get up because you have purpose.” Elijah’s feelings don’t change. He doesn’t miraculously feel better, but he chooses to “get up” despite his circumstances. This is the first step in living life for and with the Lord.
After God tells Elijah to “get up” He tells him to “go out.” As Elijah stands there on the mountaintop a hurricane, earthquake, and fire pass him, but the Lord is nowhere to be found. It is in the gentle whisper that follows that we hear the Lord speak to Elijah. So often are we looking for God in the big areas of life that we miss Him in the seemingly mundane and ordinary moments. It is important for us to take the time to find and thank Him in our everyday life. And that is where we find the second antidote for the poison of this world: gratitude.
After the Lord tells Elijah to “go out” He commands him to “go back” to continue living for the Lord and doing good works for others. Melissa furthered this idea by encouraging us to “give.”
“Get up. Go out. Give. Go back.”
This phrase continued to be repeated throughout the week. It served as a reminder to the campers of the calling the Lord has for us and His willingness to help us in this calling. The Lord wants to strengthen us and send us out. And when we give we humble ourselves and find purpose. This allows us to go back and share the Lord’s goodness with others.
In the days that followed the girls and the guys took turns playing on the lake and going on a bike ride. On the bike ride we were given the opportunity to practice what we had learned that week by giving back. We cut down trees and pulled weeds on Melissa’s mom, Margaret’s farm. It was a great reminder of how practical giving can be.
As Melissa’s teaching continued we added to the list of antidotes that combat the poison of this world.
The antidotes of this world are:
Laughter
Gratitude
Worship
Giving
And finally, Truth
The truth of the Gospel is an antidote to fight the lies this world tells us. In Scripture we see the phrase “one thing” used five times. Each of these five times the Lord asks us to focus in on a specific truth he wants us to hear.
John 9:25
Philippians 3:12-14
Luke 10:38-42
Mark 10:17-22
Psalm 27:4
We spent the morning praying these truths over our lives.
We ended the week with a Hopetown tradition known as The Chair. One at a time each camper had the opportunity to sit in Melissa’s teaching chair and ask the question, “What are some truths about me?” Three people then proceeded to speak truth over them and remind them of who they are in the Lord’s eyes.
The Lord wants us to take our seat at His table and “taste and see that He is good” and that He has good things in store for us... but first we have to “get up!”
