When I was a child, one of my favorite experiences of the summer was going to church camp. The kids in my congregation went to Luther Park in Danbury, Wis.
I went every summer for many years. It was a place where I went with friends, met new friends, hiked, sang camp songs and learned about nature. Oh, and don’t forget, make cool crafts.
But for me, one of the most memorable experiences was the time set aside for reading our Bible. I would take my Bible and find a place where I could be all alone. That place could be in the woods or somewhere in the sunlight or even in a spot shaded by clouds. When I was alone with my Bible at camp, I learned about the God of Creation, and I was renewed—even at that young age.
I learned God was a loving God, and God’s world was a beautiful creation.
This summer is a busy one. Between school, selling my house and attending Women of the ELCA conventions around the country, life is pretty hectic. I needed to find a place where I could go and renew myself and my relationship with God. Have you ever noticed how God connects the dots in your life?
I found my new sanctuary back in the place where I found sanctuary as a child. I parked my camper at Luther Park in Danbury. There, again, I found a peaceful place where my dogs and I can go to escape, meet new friends, camp with family, and most important of all, sit outside in God’s beautiful creation to read, study, observe nature and be renewed. God is good, all the time.
Do you have a sanctuary where you can find yourself and renew your relationship with God?
Nancy Giddings serves on the churchwide executive board; she lives in Blaine, Minn.
If you are looking for a resource that helps you find a sacred space that’s right for you, check out Women of the ELCA’s free resources: Sacred Spaces and Sacred Spaces as a Metaphor.