Bittersweet Farm

One summer I was speaking in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan at a church camp. The story was told of a young lady who came to camp one year and caused quite a stir.

They said, “She got off the bus dressed all in black with dark makeup and black finger nail polish. She told everyone who would listen that she was a practicing witch. She was serious.”

This caused a sensational stir among the other campers. Some of them were petrified to think that they were attending church camp with, not just a witch, but a practicing witch. “Practicing witch” just sounds so much worse than a regular witch.

The continual buzz around the camp from the Snack Shack to the Dining Hall to the waterfront was, “She’s a practicing witch. She’s a practicing witch. She’s a practicing witch…” It was on everyone’s lips.

Her counselor was a little intimidated by it. Most of her cabin mates slept with one eye open and kept their distance during the day. Some of them concerned themselves with her salvation and tried to lead her to follow Jesus. Some of the girls gathered under a shade tree to pray for her deliverance. There were long conversations about how to cast a demon out of someone.

One night chapel had started and the speaker for the evening was hurrying across the camp a couple minutes late. He could hear the band had already started.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a couple girls hiding behind a tree. They looked troubled.

He said, “Is everything. O.K?”

“No, we’re afraid,” they said. “Did you know there is a practicing witch here this week?” They were trembling with fear.

“Come with me,” the seasoned youth speaker said. “I want to show you something.”

They clung to each other and followed the speaker to the chapel. Stopping at the back door he asked them to look into the chapel. The band was playing a favorite and 300 campers were jumping up and down hands in the air singing praise to God. They had been singing together all week and they were raising the roof with loud praise.

“Look in there.” He said, “What do you see?”

“Do you see it girls?” He said before they could answer, “It’s one practicing witch and three hundred practicing Christians! Let’s go to chapel.”

Yes, things are dark but God has placed lights everywhere. Satan and his demons are real and dangerous but he has placed his Spirit in each of his children and… “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Bittersweet Farm | February 10, 2024