“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
– Philippians 3:13
Life at Camp, Part 2.
Quote of the Week
“I don’t want to miss out on hearing God’s voice amidst the chaos of camp.”
A week ago, we started a camp-focused series on WLF. We began by inspecting the concept of submitting to authority. We looked at why it matters in our relationship with God, in our friendships, and at camp. Last week was Staff Training. For six days, we did everything we could to get ready for the summer.
At camp, we have a hefty workload. As the Lifeguard team, our job involves a ton of setup. There are docks to assemble and deploy to the waterfront, anchors to find, ropes to set up, and inflatables to blow up (with air). When we look at our to-do lists, it can become overwhelming. Without a list of top-priority tasks, we risk misprioritizing what matters. Nobody cares that the water is weed-free if there’s nothing to do at swim skill. That’s why today we’ll touch on…
Focus and Priorities
At the start of camp, I asked the Staff for prayer requests. Several of them wanted me to pray for focus. They wanted God first in their lives. You’d think that’s simple when you’re somewhere like a Bible camp. It can be, but not always. You also have to contend with all your assignments (skill leading, chores, cleaning), watching over the campers, spending time with the Staff, and the hard-to-locate “sleep”. It can be overwhelming if you haven’t sat down and thought about why you’re at camp. The answer to that question will impact your focus and priorities.
First, let’s make sure that having a proper focus is Biblical.
Focus and Priorities in the Bible.
“As the time approached for Him to be taken up to Heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”
– Luke 9:51
No, there may not be verses about Jesus that directly use the word “focus”, but I think He’s a great example. Jesus’ priorities were perfect. He did everything super well without neglecting anything else. I wish we could all do that.
One trait I admire about Jesus in this area is His time blocking. Jesus established time blocking centuries before the rest of us thought about it. I can’t make the case that Jesus exclusively focused on people, or only on healing/work, or only on His ultimate mission. That wouldn’t be true. Jesus was focused on all three, and He prioritized all three in their respective times.
When the crowds came, Jesus made them His priority. When it was healing time, that was His focus. And in the above verse, when He knew it was time for His sacrifice, that was His objective. He knew there was a time for everything, and He scheduled His life so He could do everything in its proper time.
Focus and Priorities at Camp.
“Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.”
– Proverbs 16:3
As we finished sharing daily highlights while the ambience of pounding rain splattered against the roof, the door to our room in the Staff lodge swung open. “Can we borrow your trash can?” a guy asked, sticking his head through the doorway. “There’s water dripping into our room.”
We could feel the raindrops splattering on the roof just by touching the ceiling. A noticeable dark splotch was slowly oozing water near one of the bunk beds.
“Uh, guys, it’s coming through the light now,” someone said.
“Somebody get towels and more buckets,” another instructed.
The rain continued to pour. And pour. Thankfully, it died down by midnight, without any serious damage to the building. Our prayers worked, even if the floor had turned into a muddy lake from everyone trekking inside and outside.
My point? There’s a Mike Tyson quote that says, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” There’s also a lesser-known camp quote that goes: “Everyone has a plan until they go to camp.”
We can devise all kinds of strategies and lay everything out, but at camp, things rarely go to plan. This isn’t to say that setting a list of priorities beforehand is bad. You’ve just gotta remember that plans rarely end up as you envision. Was a massive rainstorm and a leaking roof on our list of objectives? No. But it needed to get dealt with, immediately.
When thinking about what matters most at camp, it’s important to consider what is essential. (Stephen Covey calls these Quadrant 1 priorities.) Once those tasks are done, we can proceed with the next round. Setting up the obstacle course at swim is a Quadrant 1 task. It’s gotta happen before the campers arrive. Other, smaller jobs, can wait (or be delegated). It may seem easier to do the simple jobs first. Sometimes that can work, but we must not neglect the higher-priority tasks. Devotions and time with the LORD are always Quadrant 1, no matter how much there is to do.
We also need to train new people and develop them into proactive leaders. We’re all slower when we’re learning, but we can accomplish far more with a team. Trying to do everything myself, even if I think I can do it better, is a poor use of time. We get more done when people are properly trained and willing to serve. By prioritizing others and the contributions they make, we ourselves benefit as they increase our overall output.
Practical Application.
Let’s finish with three ideas for managing our priorities properly.
1. Be flexible.
At camp, everything is unpredictable. The weather is a major wild card. Whatever you’re doing, make a plan. Then realize that it’s okay if things don’t go according to plan. It will happen. Pivotability is invaluable.
2. Do the most important thing first.
Ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I need to do today?” We can’t do everything, so why waste time on things that don’t matter? Look to Jesus as an example.
3. Have a team.
Jesus could have been more efficient by Himself. He decided to use the Disciples. When He left Earth, they carried on His mission, spreading the gospel to the entire world. It’s great to focus on the immediate tasks, but Jesus also focused on training people so they could carry on His legacy once He left.
Until next week, I hope you’re having a great summer! I’d love to hear some of your top moments, and if you have prayer requests or comments, please let me know! Things will only get more exciting from here, which is why we need to set proper priorities first and foremost.
As Proverbs 4:25 says,
“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.”
I'd love to hear from you!