Campfire Talk – Week 3

by Reese Fritz

Hi guys! My name is Reese and I am a first year staff on life squad this summer and I go to Hope College in Holland, Michigan. If you told me I would be up here speaking in front of you all a month ago, I probably wouldn’t believe you. I have had many changes throughout my life that have shaped me into who I am today. 

One of them was finding out I was going to be a staff member 4 days before I left. Working up here all summer was a big change in plans for me that I did not see coming. This quick change in my life has already been one of the biggest blessings and something that I will forever be grateful for. 

Another big change in my life was switching from a public to private school my freshman year of high school. At the time, I was really scared, but it ended up changing my life in such an amazing way. I met some of my best, most genuine friends there. The teachers and experiences I had there helped me grow as a person and helped shape me into who I am today.  

Another change in my life was going to college far away from home. Being far away from my friends, family, and the comfort of my home was something that was very uncomfortable for me, but it is what pushed me to grow out of my comfort zone. 

Change can be big or small. Maybe some of your friends have recently changed, or maybe you have moved to a new city. All of you are entering into a new grade next year, and for some of you that may be middle school. 

For all of us, change can be hard. Change is not easy for anyone. My goal tonight is to encourage you with some ways that I have dealt with change and how God can help you through it. 

One of the things I have learned is to remember that God is with you throughout all of it. A verse that I love is Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

No matter what changes you are going through, God will always be with you. When I was going through some of the big changes in my life, some of the time I did not feel like God was there with me, but looking back, I can see that he was from the people that he placed in my life at the exact time that I needed them. Sometimes it doesn’t always feel like God is there, but part of having faith is trusting that God is there with you. In some of these uncertain times of my life, I felt peace knowing it was going to be okay and I could tell that God was working in my life by placing so many blessings in it. God can place people in your life that will help you get through certain experiences. 

I have also learned that it is important to support others who are going through big changes. Even just a phone call from my mom when I was still adjusting to college made a big difference. I encourage you guys to think of someone you know who may be going through a change in their life and let them know that you are here for them and remind them that God is always with them. A small act of kindness can go a long way for someone struggling through a change in their life. 

It is so important to have a hopeful outlook on changes in your life because you never know what doors are going to open. It can introduce you to people you would have never met. 

Looking back on all of the changes in my life, whether they were big or small, these experiences ended up becoming some of the biggest blessings in my life. 

So my challenge for you guys is to lean into change more and say yes to more things as it shapes you into who you are meant to become.