Every morning that summer it was just me, my Bible, and a snake.  I had flown 750 miles across the country to work at a summer camp.  While it was a remarkable place, I couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness.  On the outside, I was the typical camp counselor — hair smelling of chlorine, legs glistening in the 105-degree heat, wearing a smile from sunup to sundown.  But the truth was, I had never wanted so badly to go home.

And yet, when I felt emptiest, God blessed me through a piece of paper someone gave me shortly before I arrived: a list of 100 verses of scripture to memorise.

Every dawn I would wake up before the campers, carefully avoid the armadillo as I hopped off the porch, and find the same spot at the edge of the lake.  I would unfold the list, welcome the snake who had moseyed to the rock opposite me, and open my Bible.  Never have I had a more peaceful, life-lifting time with God.

Often since then those verses have popped into my mind — relieving me from anxiety, holding me back from temptation, guiding me toward a solution, reminding me to pray.  Recalling those hours with God has been a constant reminder of the peace only God can provide.

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you for meeting us today and every day.  We need you more than the bread we eat and the air we breathe.  Amen.