The battle was Dr. John versus Billy Joel, and the song was In A Sentimental Mood. It was actually a tight battle in the end with your votes looking like this:
Dr. John: 11
Billy Joel: 8
That's pretty close. I'm undecided even now. Point of fact, I have YouTube playing them even as I speak to help me decide the matter once and for all. I'll let let you know how it turns out by the time this post ends.
So, what is going on that has me so wrapped up that I haven't been blogging? (I know this is what you're thinking.)
I'm not certain where to begin. For those of you who are praying sorts, H-Girl still needs a boatload of prayer. In my pre-camp post she'd moved out of her father's house and in with a girlfriend. She's 17 and legally an adult in SC, though she can't actually drop out of school until her 18th birthday (January). There's good reason to believe she's doing drugs (no idea what sort, but stronger than pot) and doesn't seem inclined to stop. It's all very worrisome, and migraine-inducing, as she's still not responding to emails and her father disconnected her cell phone (not that she'd take my call anyway). So, there really isn't anything I can do except pray for her, which I do frequently, but I know that once someone begins this journey she has to want to quit. I also know that it can be a lifetime addiction. I really hate that. It also can mean an early death (and that is extremely scary). So, this is a situation that is all hands on the prayer deck. If you go to a church and would be willing to have your entire church pray for her, please add her to your prayer chain(s). You can email if you want information.
One of the things that has stuck with me from camp is something one of the counselors said fourth week in our Saturday morning devotions, which is the time we share what we've learned from the week, and that was this: "This week reminded me that I don't pray big enough. I forget how big God is, and I put my own limitations of what I think God can do in any given situation when I pray. And that is wrong. God is huge. God is the Creator.. way beyond my capacity to problem solve." He didn't say it exactly like that, but close enough. And it really struck me. How often have I done that? All the freakin' time. I've even done it in the situation above (maybe especially in the situation above, not wanting to bother people etc etc and blah blah blah). In doing so, by not telling people, by not bothering people, I've not given them the opportunity to pray to the eternal God, the creator of all things on behalf of someone who doesn't even know she's walking the line between life and death. Or maybe just between freedom and incarceration. Or a life of addiction and one free from that. All because of the limitations I put on God or others or myself.
This past Sunday my mom (who usually leads the praise singing at church) didn't go as she fell the day before (she's okay. sore. but okay.). Anyway, she usually says something before the singing to kick off the service. I've done it once before (with notice and was prepared), but this past Sunday not so much. So, I was in the car pondering the dilemma of what to say, thinking I had quite a few camp things I could share, but which thing??? And JUST THEN the song King of The World by Natalie Grant came on the radio. I'd never heard the song before, but it reminded me of what that counselor in the Saturday devotions said, and I knew what God wanted me to say. Pray bigger. He's the King of the world.
Pray bigger, my friends.
Well, I still don't know how I'd vote in my battle. I kinda got distracted with my post. Probably Billy Joel. I like the lyrics, you know. (shocking)
