I guess I didn't come off as "campy"

In August I went camping for the first time.  Now I should probably mention here that this wasn’t intense camping… we were on campgrounds, had plenty of food, covered areas, bathrooms, and showers (if you consider a cold, lousy trickle to be a “shower”).  I was with a large team of fellow Resident Assistants who went camping for our RA retreat (if you consider sleeping in tents with less than sanitary bathrooms a “retreat”).  Throughout this process of learning how to camp, I was laughed at frequently.  I guess I didn’t come off as very “campy.”  Maybe it was the fact that I had no idea how to pitch a tent.  Or maybe it was the fact that I found it necessary to bring 4 pairs of pants for this 2.5 day trip.  Possibly it was because I just really didn’t have any idea what I was doing.  But aside from sleeping on gravel that was uncomfortable at best, I enjoyed myself.

Fast forward to March when I received a phone call from a missionary who visited my college in the fall.  She said I had been on her mind, had prayed about it, talked to her husband, and wanted to ask me to be a senior staff leader on their mission trip to Costa Rica over the summer. 

What?!  Me?  Of all people?  When God put this opportunity in the cards for me, did He remember what my camping skills look like? 

I love using the excuse, “I’m a sender, not a goer.”  In other words, “no, I am not going on a mission trip, but I’ll pray for yours.”  But upon receiving this phone call, I began to realize that maybe I could be a goer.  For the next 2 weeks I prayed, talked with friends, mentors, and family.  Amidst all of my fears and insecurities about this opportunity, two passages kept coming to mind:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Even though camping, being “one with nature,” or whatever you call it is a weakness of mine, I can rest assured that God’s power will be made perfect in that weakness.

The other passage comes from Exodus 4.  Moses is asked by God to go and speak.  Moses says no.  He is not eloquent, he is slow in speech, he feels under-qualified to go in God’s name.  But God insists, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (4:12). 

In no way do I feel qualified to be leading this team to Costa Rica.  Why me, Lord?  Isn’t there someone else who could do this better than me? 

With these two passages running through my mind as I sorted through reasons why I should or shouldn’t go to Costa Rica, the answer became obvious.  The Lord is calling me to go.  He wants to send me.  His power will be made perfect in my weakness.  I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably do some really stupid, embarrassing things while figuring out the world of camping.  My team might just look at me and laugh.  I might get half way through and wonder, “what am I doing here?”  But I know God has chosen me for a reason. 

So with a joyful and surrendered heart I say, “Here I am, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).