This past weekend ten high schoolers, Gabby, Randy Sawyer, and I had a chance to go on retreat to Rockbridge Young Life camp and it was a blast! The weather was incredible, the time together was very refreshing and the camp site was surrounded by the beauty that God has created in the mountains.

We had a great time playing ultimate Frisbee, eating pretty good food, and just enjoying being together in a beautiful place. One of the most beautiful things about the weekend was the time of worship and talks of Jay Miller, who was the speaker for the weekend. Jay did an incredible job and really showed us about what God is doing in everyday life. Jay has a gift to really connect with students and show them God in every story of our lives.

The theme for the weekend was friendship. What does it mean to be a good friend in today’s society and what does friendship look like in the Bible? We looked at one of the greatest stories of friendship in the Bible: the story of David and Jonathan.  What made this friendship so great? Jay broke it down for us like this: David and Jonathan were willing to sacrifice everything for each other.  Jonathan betrayed his family and gave up his right to the throne to protect David because he knew that David was the anointed King. Good friends remind you of who you are in Christ. Good friends are there to protect you. Good friends are willing to sacrifice for you even when it means they aren’t getting anything in return. We talked about how often we do what Jonathan did and sacrifice while knowing we will not being getting anything out of it.

Jesus is the greatest friend of all to everyone that is in Christ. He reminds us who we are, he protects us, and he gave His own life. He stepped down from the throne to come and befriend us. We are called as Christians to be like Jesus. So, this week how can you be a better friend to those around you? Pray for God to show you ways!