“Good News of Great Joy!”
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord… And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child… And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Luke 2:8-20
Do you know those moments where you just have to tell someone when you’ve experienced something amazing? I imagine for many of you, that’s exactly what it’s like when you leave camp. You can’t wait to tell your friends and family about all of your amazing experiences over the summer. The EP’s, the classes, the performances, the silly things that happened in the cabins. It’s like we were made to tell people good news!
This makes me think of the Christmas story, when the shepherds were in their fields the night Jesus was born, and the first angel appeared and told them, “I have good news of great joy for you!” Then other angels joined and sang together what I imagine was an early edition of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing!” The shepherds were so excited to share this news of Jesus’ birth that they immediately told anyone who would listen. And their testimony had a real impact on the people around them. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, was encouraged by their excitement of His birth!
When you invite others into your joyful experiences, it impacts their life and yours too! Whether it’s our experiences of camp, important memories made outside of camp, or it’s our experience of learning more about Jesus and growing in a relationship with Him… When we share our joy, it brings others joy as well.
Try this: next time you read the Bible and you learn something about God, take a moment to tell someone about it. Whether it’s a friend or parent or neighbor. I trust that when you do, the same thing will happen for you that happened to the shepherds that night. You will be filled with great joy and you will praise God for all that you learn from Him!