recognizable love

I hopped in the driver’s seat and started driving to North Carolina, feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. I was leading three girls for a week of summer camp. One was our most faithful Young Life event attendant and 100% all about all things Jesus, one I’d known since she was in middle school and we already had a spiritual relationship, and the third was her friend. I didn’t know a thing about her. We met for the first time showing up at the Plum Market parking lot to ride to camp. She later told me she thought I was a camper when she first saw me (for context, I’m 24), and that before this she had asked her friend if I was “weird” (I still don’t have the answer to how her friend responded…). She’s blunt like that. Over a week of doing all the silly, fun camp things and sharing a cabin, I got to know her, but got the impression she did not want to be there. 

At summer camp, we get the opportunity to do “one on ones” with each of our campers to learn more about where they are in their walk with Jesus. All day leading up to the one on one, she was like “I’m not doing that.” So when I asked her if she was ready to chat, I was shocked she stepped off the volleyball court and walked with me. We ended up talking for an hour and she opened up to me in ways I wasn’t expecting. She wasn’t interested in talking about Jesus, but she talked.

After camp, when I texted her inviting her to hang out, she sent me three messages: “Um” “Why” “And do what.” But we planned something, and she came. We planned another event the following week, and she showed up. I think high schoolers are desperate for someone who will listen and are drawn to Jesus’ love even if they don’t recognize it as Jesus’ love yet. Jesus may not have broken down the walls of her heart at Windy Gap, but he certainly re-broke mine. In a season where I’ve been feeling a lot of “not enough”ness, hearing the simple message of the gospel again reminded me how much Jesus loves me. I want Abigail to know Jesus’ love like this, and I think Jesus opened that door up at camp this year.

—  Jenna Bishop, Saline High School Volunteer Leader