Refiner's Fire

Refiner's Fire

Purify my heart, let me be as gold and precious silver. Purify my hear, let me be as gold, pure gold.

Refiner's fire, my heart's desire is to be holy, set apart for You my Lord. I choose to be holy, set apart for You my Master, ready to do Your will.

Purify my heart, cleanse me from within and make me holy. Purify my heart, cleanse me from my sin, deep within. 

This song struck a chord in me during my time at camp and I couldn't let it go. It became so real to me how much I need to be refined....daily. Through witnessing the lives of those who have forsaken a lot the world has to offer for the calling of the gospel I was encouraged and compelled to really examine my heart's desires. And what I found wasn't as bright and shiny as I had hoped. Nope, I'm broken. I'm sinful. I'm in great need of the ultimate healer and giver of all good. Thank you Jesus for that. 

This past week at camp God really showed up in BIG ways. On Thursday night we baptized 7 people in the Mediterranean Sea! A few of the campers and counselors felt God's prompting to publicly proclaim their belief and desire to follow hard after Him! I can't tell you how encouraged and touched I was by this. One of my High School girls got baptized and through this I was able to better understand how much different belief in Christ is for people living over here with Muslim families. Because the campers are under 18 we are required to ask their parent's permission to baptize them. This girl's mother is a Christian, but her dad is a Muslim. She had wanted to be baptized for 2 years, but feared her father wouldn't let her. He had told her previously that she needed to wait until she was 18 to decide. Wow. It was so hard for me to understand because where I come from it's such an accepted and encouraged decision. I never feared my parents wouldn't approve! We talked to her mom on the phone and she was really doubtful that he would allow it. So we prayed, and prayed and prayed. And 24 hours later he said YES! Praise the Lord! She was so in awe of God's working and so excited to finally be able to tell the world and camp she lived for her savior! I was seriously in shock and on cloud nine when i found out. The baptism was incredible. So many tears of joy and hope shed. 

There are so many of these stories. We called out and God answered! Please be praying that I can continue to be refined, daily.