We had seen the Lord’s movement in our youngest daughter’s heart for a while.  Naturally inquisitive, she began early in life questioning the things of God.  My husband and I have always prayed fervently for our children to follow Christ, but completely trusting of His timing and will over their stories, we’ve taken discipleship at the individualized pace He has directed us with each of our kids. Questions were always a part of the process, and usually, underneath the questions were insights to hidden fears and needs that could only be satisfied in Christ.  Lucy’s questions ranged from deeply theological to complete randomness, but one theme we had discerned over time was the need to feel safe.  

Having salvation conversations with our kids, particularly when a child is a fearful one, can feel so weighty at times. 

• We want our kids to see their deep heart need– one separate from God, needing rescue– and understand the gravity and gift of Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf.

• We want them know their God- revealed identity and purpose, to truly experience His love and grace transform them, and feel safely held for eternity. 

• We want the whole, beautiful picture on display, not just the portion about saving them from hell. 

It’s both a privilege and a weight to do the Gospel justice, and honestly we can never fully do it justice, so as we make frail attempts at sharing it, all our insecurities can come out– Are we talking about this enough? Clearly enough? Too gently or too directly? What are we even doing? Is there a seed, a sprout? Oh God, please help us out. Are we doing this right? 

And so we count the highest calling to be that of faithfulness over perfection, and we keep sharing as best we know how, by direction of the Spirit.  However, oftentimes, as a gracious gift in the middle of our insecurity, God uses others to help the Gospel story sink.  

For us, T Bar M played that role of making the Gospel story sink.  

Of course, Lucy loved every minute of camp.  (Sidenote: Alphas won that week, and I am not too humble to keep that info to myself.)  It was everything and more she had imagined.  A gift from my dad for Christmas, she and all her girl cousins went to Day Camp together each day, making memories with their amazing coaches, and ended each day at our house, giggling over all they had experienced, singing the camp song, and chanting as Alphas before they drifted off to sleep.

I had seen Lucy’s commitment card in her bag after Closing Ceremony, marked that she wanted to talk to her parents about salvation, and I did not nag her, but rather welcomed all the conversations about what she had been learning.  Praying for discernment, we trusted that the Spirit was going to direct that conversation and knew Lucy would initiate it when God tugged at her heart. And that’s exactly what happened a couple nights later.  

After a timid and teary, “Can we talk?” what unfolded was a beautiful Gospel conversation, Lucy sharing her brokenness over sin that made her far from God and her need for Christ to save her.  In her own simple way, she directed the conversation back to camp and how Isaiah 26:3 was on her heart because she needed peace. 

You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because He trusts in you.

-Isaiah 26:3

Somehow the silly camp song with all the hand motions stirred in my mind and a vision of hilarious cousins singing it before bed felt more powerful because I now knew, every time it repeated through the week, lyrics were beckoning the heart of a little one who needed to be safe.  

Lucy followed Christ that night, and we could not feel more grateful.

T Bar M does something so important, so purposeful and good, and we are wise to remember steady faithfulness matters.  I am so thankful for the camp directors, leaders, and coaches over the years who have led children to the feet of Jesus all while having fun.  You’re helping the Gospel sink.