This evening my daughter will be having an informational meeting for an internship program she is setting up for high-school girls.
This internship is for the upcoming summer family camp, which is hosted at the property of my daughter’s good friends.
My daughter’s friends are very entrepreneurial, and 3 years ago they had a brilliant idea of hosting a family camp (for families in their church) on their 40-acre forested property. Families come and set up tents to stay in, or pop-up campers, etc. … There are crafts and games and activities … all designed around memorizing Scripture. Usually over the course of camp everyone memorizes an entire chapter of the Bibe. (my daughter’s friends create music/song which the passage is set to, which makes it easier to memorize)
Needless to say, there are a lot of logistics involved in running a 5-day summer family camp. Not the least of which is making sure over a hundred people are fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. The families which attend camp all pitch in and take turns helping with meal prep. But it’s still a massive logistical puzzle to organize.
My daughter is very gifted at business administration. She is very gifted at project planning, project strategy, and project implementation. Last summer she ran all the logistics (specifically the meal prep aspect) of camp. It was a huge job!
The summer family camp is very popular among the families of their church. Everyone loves it! Word is spreading, and other families are wanting to come. Each year summer family camp keeps growing (exponentially).
The logistical administration job which my daughter did last year is becoming too big for her to do by herself.
Hence, she has decided to set up an internship program for the high-school girls of the church. This way she can train them to help do the work. The project load will be more bearable … and the high-school girls can get some very practical real-life “job” experience.
At the informational meeting tonight my daughter will be teaching the girls all about resumes, cover letters, and interviews. She’s going to have the girls apply for the internship just as if it’s a real-life job. She is going to have them submit resumes. She’s going to have them go through an interview process with both her, and she’s having them interview with hubby (she wants them to be slightly intimidated).
A few of the girls will be selected as “lead” interns. Several more will be selected as “helpers” to the “leads.” Then, of course, there will be the disappointment of those who are not selected. All very practical real-life experiences.
Today’s blog title is – Love is a reflection of God. I can’t help but think how similar our Christian life is with the internship program my daughter is setting up. The high-school girls who are selected for the internship will be mentored by my daughter. Through practical experience she will be teaching them skills (resume building, interviewing, training for a job, etc. …)
As my daughter mentors these high-school girls, they will be learning from her example. They will be learning from what she tells them. They will be learning from the practical assignments she gives them to do.
They will be watching how she responds to situations … and they will be learning. They will be trying to do the tasks themselves … and they will be learning. They will no doubt have some failure, some unexpected challenges, and some frustration … and through it they will be learning.
As interns, these high-school girls will be becoming a “reflection” (so to speak) of my daughter.
This is what the Christians life is like.
If we have repented of our sin and given our life to Jesus Christ we are likewise in a spiritual “internship” (so to speak). God is “mentoring” us … just like my daughter will be mentoring the high-school girls. Through practical experience God is teaching us skills to make us stronger.
As “Jesus-interns” we learn from watching Jesus’s example. (we have 4 biographical accounts in our Bible through which we can learn much from Jesus’s example).
As “Jesus-interns” we learn from what Jesus tells us. That’s why it’s so important to be reading our Bible regularly.
As “Jesus-interns” we learn from practical assignments Jesus gives us to do. Such as responding in kindness when we are unjustly treated … or keeping our mouth shut when we want to say some “choice words!” … or reaching out in love to someone when the Holy Spirit prompts us deep down in our soul … etc. …
As we try to do the tasks Jesus assigns us … we are learning. Obviously, we will have some failures. We will mess up. We’ll blow it. And we’ll learn from our failure.
We’ll have some unexpected challenges. And we will be learning from them.
We’ll have some frustration. And we will be learning through it.
And in the process, we will be becoming a “reflection” of Jesus Christ!
The more we are “mentored” by Jesus, the more we become like Jesus … the more we look like Jesus … the more we are a “reflection” of Jesus.
“Be imitators of God, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.” – Ephesians 5:1-2
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” – 1 John 3:16
“We love because he first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
Love is patient … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love is kind … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love does not envy … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love does not boast or brag … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love is not proud … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love is not rude … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love is not self-seeking … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love is not easily-angered … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love keeps no record of wrongs … this is a reflection of Jesus.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. This is a reflection of Jesus.
Love is a reflection of God.
