CAMPING

With camping, you either love it or hate it. Camping as a teenager in Colorado was easy. We would grab a sleeping bag, the dog, and hike to a secluded place under the stars. Glorious memory, but now that I am older, the idea doesn’t have the same appeal. I still love a good hike, but prefer to do my sleeping in a bed!

Our earthly bodies are camping out on earth. These bodies are a temporary place for our eternal souls. St. Paul describes this in 2Corinthians 5:1-5, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Camping is not always comfortable

When you go camping, there is always a certain amount of discomfort. The same is true of us as we live on earth. Something inside us longs to be in the presence of our Father God. Until then, we can enjoy the beautiful creation from the Hand of our Creator. We can appreciate a good sleep wrapped in a warm sleeping bag or snuggled in a soft bed!

Jesus said in John 14:1-4, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”