Harry met Sally at camp meeting, proposed behind the youth tent, rejoiced as she said “YES!”, and they have been happily married for 35 years. That’s a miracle!

Bobby took his trumpet to camp meeting; played along with the piano for song service, got better; played with the band, got better; played the national anthem for the Giants, 49’rs, Blazers; and, still has an open invitation from the Lakers. A miracle!

Jules saw her first fireflies at camp meeting in Wisconsin. “WOW!” Marty discovered his dad knew how to run the P.A. so even the worst singers sounded good. “WOW, Dad. You’re pretty good!” For Dad, those words were a miracle!

Three young intern pastors sat in the back seats of the junior tent, “to control the troops,” and heard an ancient E.L. Minchen tell Bible stories that kept kids on the edges of the rough-board pews. “WOW!”, they said, as they cleaned the tent that night, “Old dudes can make God irresistible to kids!” Now they’re the "old dudes" telling Bible stories. Miracles!

Leslie Harding made the sanctuary understandable to old and young. Morris Venden found hundreds of ways to preach the same sermon: “God loves sinners, and there’s nothing we can do to add anything to what He’s already done.”

The Wedgewood Trio and Heritage Singers have turned over their skills of “offending the adults” to new generations of musicians who sing for God with synthesizers, drums, and rhythms that cause some to dash from the tent, just as their parents did 25 years ago when accosted by guitar riffs.

Though terrible weather, distant parking, ssstaticccky P.A. systems, inadequate sewers, Aunt Martha’s vege-loaf, endless miniature golf, first kisses beneath the Milky Way, Uncle Warren’s weak plastic chairs, and midnight Rook games in Larry’s motor home will always be included in our camp meeting memories, the favorite story will always be how God became “best friend” in the summer heat. Miracle!

Some of us came forward during the first chorus of “Just As I Am.” Others take years of sermons, songs, calls, and encouragements before God’s voice overwhelms our hearts. But we hear. We listen. We see changes in our friends. We watch and wish. And, finally, we agree to a life-long shout of “YES!”

That’s the greatest camp meeting miracle!

Dick Duerksen is an assistant vice president for mission development at Florida Hospital.