Ok I know I should be working on my other story 'Wizard or Demigod', but I really feel like I need to tell this story. This may not be a fiction story, but I really feel like I need to post this, and this is the only place I know to do it. The writing will be a bit different from what I am used to but it is still my writing.

Ok here it is.

This summer, I went to a church camp. It's a long drive from where I live to the camp. I was having fun talking and laughing with my friends when I heard this voice in my head saying, "It's the books, it's the books." Now I have been obsessed with the 'Percy Jackson' books for years so I knew what the voice was talking about but I didn't know what it meant.

The first night I got there, we had Praise and Worship just like we had every night. During Worship, this really good preacher spoke about how the goal that week was putting God center stage, meaning not having anything in the way of you coming closer to God. It was then that I realized I didn't have God center stage. In my opinion, I didn't have as good a relationship as I should have with him.

The next morning, we did Body and Soul, which is kind of like Electives for school, only you get to change what you want to do for that day. The first full day there, I chose to do the labyrinth. For those of you who read the books I read, this labyrinth is not the same as the one in 'The Battle of the Labyrinth'. This labyrinth had only one entrance and exit so it was more of a small round path. What you do is carry a small rock through the labyrinth and put all your burdens into it. Then drop it in the center and leave. It's more of a meditation thing. While you're walking, you talk to God. It was kind of awkward at first. Mostly, all I asked was, "What is in the way of me coming to you?"

That night during Worship, I heard the same voice as in the car say, "It's the books, It's the books," but much more clearly this time. I knew exactly what it was.

It was God.

When I heard his voice, I fell to my knees and started crying. I cried because it was just so powerful and amazing. Even In the car ride there, I didn't ask him but he answered me. He answered a question that I hadn't even thought of asking yet.

I was bawling now and it would have been much louder but I wasn't alone. In big wet salty tears I said silently to God, "I am so, so sorry; Sorry for worshiping other fictional gods. I don't want those as my passion anymore. I want you." Suddenly, I felt something bubble up inside me and if it was possible for me to cry harder, I did. I didn't know why or what was happening.

By this time, people were laying their hands on me, either praying for me or comforting me. Finally, when I was good and ready, my crying slowed, and I looked up. Three women had their hands on me and I started to talk to them. After a while two of the women left to comfort others who were on their knees, just as I was. Crudely, I explained what I had just witnessed to the third women. (I don't remember her name.) She had told me that God had claimed me. For those of you who don't know, being claimed by God is basically God choosing us and telling us to follow him. She also said that she could feel God's presence inside me. And I could feel it too. I thought it was amazing how right after I put the books down, God claimed me. It was as if he was saying "Finally."

The next evening Worship was the last one because we were leaving the next day. Usually during Worship, a band comes up and sings a bunch of amazing Christian songs. This time, it was open mike. Open mike was where if God was telling you to go onstage and tell a story or just quote verses from the Bible or anything like that, you go up and do it. It is not for going up there and singing and whatnot. Ok I LOVE being onstage. I never had stage fright so I got up to get onstage but then I thought, "What would I do? What would I say?" so I sat back down. Then God told me to go up there. I knew what He wanted me to talk about, but I didn't know what to say. He wanted me to go up and tell my story. Tell what I had just witnessed. Unfortunately, that story involved books with another religion and I was not about to go onstage and talk about books with another religion in them to a whole group of Christians.

I told God I can't, just like Moses said to God when he asked him to go to Egypt. Now the night before, right before I went to bed, I told God that I will try to do whatever He wants me to do but when He asksed me to go onstage and tell a little story about the past night, I say I cant. Doesn't that sound crazy?

Well when I realized what I did, I quickly got into the slowly-forming line that led up to the stage. I was trying to form a speech in my head when one of my friends noticed me in line and walked up to me.

She asked if I was going to speak and I nodded. We talked for a bit then she left me in line alone. USUALY I don't have stage fright but I have to admit (and I won't admit something like this very much) I was scared as h... It was almost time for me to go up and I still had no idea what I was going to say. So I called my friend back and asked her to go onstage with me. She didn't agree at first but I told her she didn't have to say anything if she didn't want to, but I just needed someone to support me. She only agreed if I didn't make her go onstage with me but only hold my hand from offstage. The stage was more like a small platform. When I walked onto it, my legs felt like jelly and I found it difficult to move. When I stopped in front of the microphone, they were shaking as fast as lightning. I now realize that when I spoke, God was telling me what to say. While I spoke, I tried to shift my weight on my legs to stop the shaking, but if it weren't for my friend holding my hand, I would have fallen. When I finished talking and walked off the stage, I couldn't hold it anymore. My knees buckled and I fell to my knees. While I was at it, I cried some more, but these were tears of joy. Later on, I got a lot of compliments on my speech and I was glad I listened to God.

Even if you don't believe in God, God will always believe in you. He doesn't care what you look like or what you do; he will always love you and want you to be with him.