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Chris' Question:
I'm Almost a Teenager;
What does all this God Stuff Mean?





Summer Camp was fantastic. It was Chris' first time at Living Waters Camp. Day camp was fun but she had wanted to try out an overnight camp and her best friend Angie had come here for the past two years. Last summer after two weeks away all Angie could talk about was camp, camp, camp, so Chris begged her mom to let her go.

Chris knew this was a church camp, but wow, the first few days of camp were so strange. All Chris knew about God was from going to vacation bible school when she was little. She had never gone to church except maybe at Christmas with grandma. Mom said that she liked to sleep in on Sundays. Church was boring anyways.

Chris' counselor, Carolyn, was an 18 year old student at Canadian Bible College. She was so cool, but not like any teenager Chris had ever met. Carolyn always seemed to be smiling or laughing, she had a wonderful way with the girls in her cabin. When Justine was homesick she knew just what to say. She sang and joked around, the girls loved her.



Chris was usually an early riser, but the coolness of the morning woke her up earlier than usual. She opened her eyes and peaked out the window of the cabin. It was so beautiful! The sun reflected on the still waters of the lake.

Chris noticed Carolyn sitting on a bench outside her cabin reading. Still in her pajamas, Chris tiptoed out the door of the cabin and stood a little way off from Carolyn. She had not been seen yet. She heard Carolyn talking but no one was around. Chris inched forward and Carolyn turned around and smiled,

"Hey there, Good Morning, You're up early!" "Come sit here by me if you like and we can pray together."

Chris gulped, " I don't pray, I don't know about God at all. I'm almost a teenager and except for Angie none of my friends go to church, it's boring, besides what does all this God stuff mean?"

Carolyn looked at Chris with knowing eyes, "Chris, I was just like you just a few years ago. I thought this God stuff was meaningless, but now I know God personally and it is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Chris didn't think too long she just blurted out, "but isn't it just a bunch of rules, you can't have any fun can you?"

Carolyn was quiet for a moment and then asked Chris, "Would you like to hear what God has done in my life?"

Chris thought about how cool Carolyn was and how just last night Chris had hoped that she would be like Carolyn in a few years, so Chris nodded.

"Well Chris, I came to this camp when I was ten just like you. My mom and dad had just split up and both my parents were fighting over where I should stay. Camp was a great chance to get away. Mom and Dad asked me to tell them where I would like to stay so I thought I would make the decision here. I was angry. Angry at mom and dad for fighting and separating, angry at myself for not being able to keep things together at home, and angry at God for not stopping the separation."

"You see mom had become a Christian a year before, Wow did she change, she had been so unhappy for many years then all of a sudden she was happy. I didn't understand but the tension between dad and mom grew, anyway here I was at this camp. We would sing the worship songs, I didn't know the songs and didn't feel like singing. Everyone was so happy and I just wanted to hide. We did Bible studies everyday and it all seemed so strange."

"Almost everyone at camp said they knew Jesus but I sure didn't. One night we went out to the beach and slept under the stars. It was so beautiful I started to cry. My counselor came over and asked me why I was crying and I just said the stars were so beautiful. She asked me if I wanted to know the creator of those stars. So we talked. She told me that I was created by the same creator as the one who created the stars. That creator is God. She told me that God cared about me and loved me and wanted to have a relationship with me. She told me about the problem of sin that because we do things that are wrong, like lie or insult someone, we can't have a right relationship with God."

"What do you think so far Chris, any questions?"

Chris nodded, "So if we all do wrong things and can't do right then how can anyone know God?"

"Good Question Chris", Carolyn answered, "We can know God because he loves us so much He did a very special thing, He sent His Son, Jesus to live on this earth. Now Jesus did something none of us can do. He lived a perfect life, He didn't sin."

"WOW that would be hard to do", Chris responded.

Carolyn smiled, "He did something even more difficult, Jesus died on the cross. He died as punishment for the sins of the world, for everyone, for you and me. Jesus' death was important but even more important He rose from the dead and is alive. Because Jesus died and yet He lives we can have a relationship with God, we can talk to Him and have Him as the centre of our life."



"When my counselor told me this I could hardly believe it. I felt like somehow I had helped break up my mom and dad's marriage. I felt like God wouldn't care about me, but He did and He does. I prayed to God that day and everything changed, especially me!"

Chris thought for a few minutes. She looked around her and the beauty of this camp and nature. It had to be made by God. She looked at Carolyn and thought about the other leaders and kids at the camp, they were different, there was something that a relationship with God gave them that she was missing. They were so certain, and happy and not confused. Chris also felt some real shame for the way she had laughed at her friend Angie, she also felt sorry for teasing and telling lies.

"Could God really love me, I have been pretty mean to Angie sometimes about her loving God?"

"He already loves you Chris, and He is just waiting for you to ask Him to be part of your life."

Chris felt something so strong in that simple statement that tears filled her eyes and she got a lump in her throat. "Carolyn,I don't know how to pray, but I want to know God."

Carolyn reached over to Chris and hugged her. "I am so glad Chris, I will be happy to help you pray but I want you to know one more thing before you decide."

"When you know God and ask him into your life, He becomes your leader, teacher and guide. You need to ask for forgiveness for the wrongs you've done. You have to turn your whole life to God. Sometimes it is not easy to be a Christian, especially as a teenager. It's not that we have to live by a whole bunch of rules , it's that we are FREE to live as God wants us to. We don't have to prove how cool we are to anyone. God knows what is best for us and so we do it. The kids who don't know God don't understand that. The great thing is that you are never alone. God is with you even when it gets tough. You also have friends who will help you along the way too."

"Are you willing to not only accept God's love but love him back by giving your life to him?"



Chris closed her eyes and silently said to God. "I really want to know you God. Do you really love me?" She looked up at Carolyn and said, "YES, I want to know God and Jesus like you do."

"Okay Chris, lets pray together." So there in the quiet of the early morning, Chris gave her life to God. After they had finished praying the morning bell rang.

Carolyn laughed, "Hey! up in heaven there is a big celebration, the bells are ringing and the angels are singing because you have become a new member of the family of God! Let's go share your big news with Angie eh?"



"Ok, race you back to the cabin?" With that Chris jumped off the bench and took off to the cabin. Carolyn caught up to her at the door and she said,"This is a big day for you and for me Chris, you are now my little sister in Christ." Smiling they went into the cabin to share the big news.

YOU TOO CAN KNOW GOD LIKE CAROLYN AND ANGIE AND CHRIS. IF THIS STORY HAS MADE SENSE TO YOU AND YOU WANT TO KNOW GOD AND JESUS IN A REAL WAYGO TO MY NEW LIFE PAGE

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