Knowing Jesus vs. Knowing About Jesus

What started as a weekend away with other college athletes became one of the most impactful experiences of my college career. I left with a stronger faith, meaningful friendships, and a renewed understanding of what it means to fully follow Christ. When I signed up for Mid-Atlantic College Camp, I expected a fun weekend with other athletes. What I did not expect was how much God would use those few days to challenge me, encourage me, and reveal areas of my life where I still needed to grow. My trip to camp did not exactly start smoothly. What should have been about a four-hour drive turned into a seven-hour drive because of traffic. I arrived tired, stressed, and ready for the day to be over. Thankfully, that feeling did not last long. As soon as I arrived, I met people in my huddle and quickly started making friends. My huddle leader would end up having a huge impact on me throughout the weekend, even though I did not know it at the time. One of the first things that challenged me was something called Prayer Tacos. Every morning, we woke up at 6:00 a.m. and spent an hour in prayer. At first, I honestly thought there was no way I could stay focused for an entire hour. Instead, it became one of my favorite parts of camp. The experience taught me how often I focus on asking God for things instead of simply thanking Him for what He has already done. By the second morning, I found myself looking forward to that time with Him. Since returning home, I have continued using my own version of Prayer Tacos during walks. Instead of spending the entire walk listening to music, I spend part of it intentionally praying. It has helped me become more consistent in my prayer life and more aware of God's presence throughout my day. Another highlight of camp was worship. There was something powerful about being surrounded by hundreds of college athletes who were unashamed of their faith. Seeing people openly worship reminded me that I am not alone in my desire to follow Christ and encouraged me to live out my faith more boldly. One of the breakout sessions impacted me more than any other. The session focused on our thought life and how many of our negative thoughts do not come from God. This message hit close to home because comparison was something I struggled with during my spring field hockey season. I often found myself believing lies. Those thoughts took up a lot more space in my mind than they should have. During the session, we wrote down negative beliefs we had about ourselves and then found Scripture that spoke truth into those lies. One verse that stood out to me was Psalm 139:14 , which reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” The exercise reminded me that my identity is not found in performance, playing time, or what other people think of me. My identity is found in Christ. Another breakout challenged us to think about the influence we have on our teammates. It forced me to ask myself whether my actions are helping people move closer to Christ or simply blending in with the world around me. One thing I loved about camp was how genuine everything was. We were not just hearing messages; we were being challenged to apply them immediately. During one prayer session, we were asked to write down something we needed to surrender to God and place it on a wall. The activity reminded me that surrender is more than saying the right words; it requires trust and a willingness to place those burdens in God's hands every day. Not everything went according to plan. I ended up having to miss part of camp. While I was disappointed, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of those who cared for me and reminded me that God is present even when things do not go according to our plans. Some of the most impactful moments of the weekend came from hearing testimonies. Listening to people share both their struggles and the ways God had worked in their lives reminded me that faith is not always a dramatic transformation story. More often, it is a journey of growth, healing, forgiveness, and learning to trust God through difficult seasons. Their stories challenged me to grow in areas of my own life and reminded me that God is still working, even in the middle of the struggle. As the weekend came to a close, one truth stood out above everything else: you cannot live with one foot in the world and one foot with God. Following Jesus requires surrender, commitment, and a willingness to trust Him fully. I realized there were areas of my life where I was trying to keep one foot in the world and one foot with God. I was making excuses and settling for less than what God wanted for me. God was not calling me to be comfortable. He was calling me to be fully His. MACC was so much more than a weekend camp. It was a weekend where God challenged my thinking, strengthened my faith, and showed me areas where I still need to grow. I arrived at camp tired from a long drive, expecting little more than a weekend with other athletes. I left with a deeper faith, a clearer understanding of my identity in Christ, and a renewed desire to fully surrender every area of my life to Him.  If there is one thing I learned from Mid-Atlantic College Camp, it is that God can do a lot in just one weekend when we are willing to let Him work.

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