God Spoke With a Breeze

This week and next week many Christian camps are doing their staff training so that they can minister to campers and retreat guests throughout the summer.   I have a special memory of a staff training week in which God revealed His Presence in a special way.  In order to prepare our staff spiritually, we included staff devotional times each morning and evening as part of our staff training.  We also started our staff using a Summer Staff Devotional on a daily basis so that they could grow spiritually.

On the last morning of our leadership team training, we took our summer camp leaders on a prayer walk instead of having the usual group devotional time with them.  We walked around camp and prayed over different areas, asking
God to bless the activities that would happen in those places and to work in the hearts of those who would enjoy activities in those areas throughout the summer.

When we gathered at the campfire circle, a holy hush fell on us.  This was the place in which every evening of camp would end with a spiritual emphasis.  It was a place where God always worked in marvelous ways as campers and staff met for worship, testimonies, meaningful skits, and Bible teaching.  Many decisions to follow Christ are made every summer at that campfire circle.  As we prayed quietly, we heard a stirring high above us in the trees.  We could hear the leaves rustling, even though there was no wind, and we had not heard any wind in the trees at any other location.  It sounded as though a breeze was blowing through the tops of the trees.

After praying and moving away from the circle, we could not hear the rustling breeze.  It was as though God had given us a special reminder of His Presence – reminding us that He was there answering our prayers.  It was a promise that He would continue to move in the lives of our campers and staff in that sacred place that summer, just as we had seen Him move so wonderfully in the past.

The stirring of the leaves above  left a stirring of joy in my heart.  I knew that we had truly met with God and that He was affirming His pleasure in our desire to see Him use us that summer to bring others to know Him personally.