Cheerleading Camp

“We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, how ‘bout you?”

For anyone who has ever been a cheerleader, or likely anyone who has been to a football game with cheerleaders or a pep squad, those words will sound very familiar to you. I was a cheerleader for two years in junior high, believe it or not. And we went to cheerleading “camps”, which were sometimes just day-long workshops or a weekend camp and competition.

In any event, I remember the one time that I won the Spirit Award. The Spirit Award was given to the person who was full of spirit, lively, loud, enthusiastic, supportive of others etc. Is it any wonder that it was given to me? I don’t think that anyone has ever mistaken me for being quiet and passive. I’ve not won a Spirit Award since, but I remember the encouragement that I felt when I held that “Spirit Stick” (a baton with streamers on both ends) – a recognition of what I thought was just my personality, but I guess my spirit and my enthusiasm were just shining through that day.

But there is another kind of spirit that I’m trying to learn better to embrace – one that should be equally as lively and enthusiastic and that should make me shine.

I don’t know about you, but I always talk about God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. How God sent His Son to die for our sins on the cross. But what’s missing here? It is, after all, the Holy Trinity. Trinity is three. God the Father, God the Son, and God……the Holy Spirit.

I often times forget about the Holy Spirit. But words used to describe the Holy Spirit are such things as the Helper, the Counselor, Friend, and Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit is with us ALL THE TIME and never leaves us. Did you get that? The Holy Spirit never leaves us! He is our friend, our helper, our counselor. When we pray in the moment, when we ask for calm and peace and guidance and comfort, guess who is there giving all of that to us? Yep, that’s the Holy Spirit.

I think I forget about the Holy Spirit because I pray to God, and get caught up in my “asking for things” or “acknowledging the awesomeness of God” mode, not realizing that the answer for many of the things I pray for is actually the Holy Spirit. That He abides in me (which He does, by the way) and that He guides me when I feel lost or off course. I know I cannot see Him, just like I can’t see God or Jesus, but this is the guy that keeps me company in an immediate need. He is by my side. He is my biggest supporter. And I fear that He goes too often unnoticed in my world.

A book that I’m currently reading called Lord, Help Me Grow Spiritually Strong, simply says this: “All you have to do is call out to Him in prayer, and He will come to your aid anytime, anywhere”.

So friends, please work with me here in remembering and adoring and accepting the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit that is so freely offered up to us. When your earthly friends are too busy, or too far away, and your family is tied up, or you have a problem that you don’t feel like sharing with anyone else, share it with God, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will come running as quickly as you can pray the words, and descend upon you and fill you up with everything that He is.

And one other thing: when you feel filled up with fear, or guilt, or frustration, or anxiety, or worry, or chaos, or anger, or envy – know that the Holy Spirit is there waiting for you to ask Him to fill you up with His spirit and throw all of those other feelings from your mind and your body. Ask the Holy Spirit to take over. Our God is not a God of fear, or guilt, or frustration, or anxiety, or worry, or chaos, or anger, or envy. He is a God of love and truth.

We need to remember this in trying times. I know that’s it’s easier said than done. I can think of several times within the last six months when I have had friends remind me of this. Times when I’ve been full of fear or worry or chaos. And all I can do is bow my head and pray. Ask God to send my loyal companion, the Holy Spirit, my way to get rid of those thoughts and feelings. And remember this:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” – Philippians 4:8

So, whether you realize it or not, we’ve all just attended Cheerleading Camp! And I would like to attend many more in the future. And I will try, with everything in me, to win that Spirit Award, for only the second time in my life. I want to be filled with spirit, have it radiate from me, have it be enthusiastic and contagious. And not just any spirit, but the Holy Spirit.