CBM Intern – Three in One

By CBM National intern, Ansley Blake –

Three initial thoughts I had when I heard I was going to Camp Victory on rotation: 1) “Yes! Only an hour away from the beach!” 2) “Yes! The weather is hot!” 3) “I’ve already learned so much these past 8 months, what more could I possibly learn?” God quickly answered that question for me. In only a month and a half, I was taught a bit of consistency, how to prioritize, and that I never stop growing in the Lord, no matter how much I’ve already learned.

It is easy for me to start projects, but it is not always that simple for me to complete them. In the past I have tried to start working out on a regular basis and failed miserably. I have tried making a better, healthier diet for myself, which ended up only lasting for about a day and a half. When I arrived at Camp Victory I had my mind set to read my Bible every single day and to spend a lot more time talking with God. These are both things I have tried, and failed, to do in the past. But this time my mind was set on being consistent in the Word and in my prayer life. I constantly prayed through this commitment. I even asked others to pray for me as I was taking this new step forward in my life. As I look back through my prayer journal, I see that the number of days I have skipped decreases the closer I get to the present day. The Lord has done a tremendous work in me this past month. I haven’t nailed the “every day Bible study” that I would like, and sometimes it is only a 5 minute devotion from my Bible app, but it is still progress. I am thankful to have a God that is so gracious and merciful to me, no matter what.

The biggest question I have pondered since I can remember is: WHY is it so hard to stay in His Word? I have a desire to study about my God. I have a burning passion and craving to know more about Him, so WHY do I not study when I have the opportunities? The Lord, in His infinite wisdom, gave me the answer. Distractions are sent by Satan to deter a believer from doing what God wants for them. For myself, my number one distraction would be my phone. As a millennial, it is incredibly easy to stay on different social media apps for hours. As I kept choosing my phone over my time with the Lord, a question repeated over and over in my mind. “What is more important? Me (God) or the phone?” I tried different ways to eliminate reasons for being distracted. (Silencing my phone, deleting social media, turning my phone off after a certain time at night, etc.) These methods worked for a while, but God showed me that the ultimate answer is just turning my phone off completely. That way I can spend time alone with my Heavenly Father without worrying about anything else. I have to prioritize and choose what is most important. Will I choose to obey God and spend time worshiping Him?  Or will I choose to be overtaken by the distractions my phone has to offer? Time spent on my phone is time that is gone forever, with few-to-no benefits. Time spent with God is time never wasted and always benefits your life, attitude, actions, and your walk with Him.

I have always heard that you never stop learning and growing in God, but I never 100% understood what it meant. Before this rotation I thought I was on track with God. I thought I knew all I would ever need to know about life. What else should I need to know? Once again, God gave me a very thorough answer. I will never stop growing. Just when I thought I was as patient as I could get, I was tested. It was very difficult and I had to pray through the situation more than once. God showed me that I can always learn to be more patient. I thought I was fairly generous but, after encountering the fantastic hospitality of the staff here at Camp Victory, I was able to see how I can be selfish at times. God revealed this to me numerous times but, after the third time He told me, I finally paid attention. It was when I attended a Bible study that a CV staff member holds once a week. We studied James 2:8-10, which says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” Through this passage, God took the blinders off of my eyes, allowed me to see myself through His eyes, and now I am able to understand what He is saying to me through those verses in Scripture.

All I can say to God for teaching me three huge lessons in such a short time is thank you. I thank Him for being such a merciful teacher. He teaches me what I need, at exactly the right time. I thank Him for being an all-time God. He knows what I need before I even ask Him. I am thankful that He is MY Creator and that will never change. I am committed and that will never change. I will always give Him praise, and that will never change! Psalms 150:1-6 “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Edited by CBM National

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