This summer I was blessed with an opportunity to serve the Lord and work at a Jesus camp. This camp in particular catered to girls between third and 11th grade. As I sit here and think about it, I realize that is such a huge age gap -- a gap in maturity, development, spirituality and attitudes.

This camp gave me the opportunity to work with girls who loved Jesus with every ounce of their being, and girls who had no idea why they loved Jesus. They just did it because that's what their church or parents told them to do. It was such an interesting conversation to have with them, one in which I was trying to help a little girl figure out why she loves Jesus. I had to show a young heart how Jesus has been working in her life. But, those girls who loved Jesus with every piece of their soul and being -- those are the ones who had the most impact on my heart. How is it that a girl who is only 12 years old already grasps concepts like the Holy Spirit and death and sin better than me? Honestly, I will probably never know.

One girl, one really special camper, spoke to my heart this summer. She was about 13 years old, and on decision night, I had the awesome opportunity to talk to her about her decision. She told me that she has decided that she wants to believe in the Lord and His strength -- even when it gets hard, even when she feels alone, even when she is scared, even when He takes things away from her.

This 13-year-old girl really spoke to my heart, and I don't think she even knows it.

Going into this summer, I thought I would be serving the Lord and pouring into girl's hearts, but I had no idea how much they would be pouring into mine. I had no idea how my heart would have been healed.

Last summer my heart was broken. Actually, broken isn't a good word. My heart was shattered, destroyed, ripped to pieces. Even those words don't do justice to the pain I felt. For the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words. I didn't know what to do or who to call.

But that was when the Lord started to work in my life.

The Lord took away someone who was so important to me, but little did I know that He was bringing something more fulfilling and awesome into my life.

He put himself back into my life. He sent me to Camp La Vida this summer, He sent me to the College of Charleston, He led me to some awesome friends, and He changed my heart.

My heart never would have been ready or prepared or willing to spend a summer serving if He hadn't have changed my point of view about life and every piece of it.

Bad things in life are going to happen. And it's going to suck and hurt and break you. But the moment you get up and take your life back, that is the moment it is going to change. And trust me, the change is going to be for the better.

So maybe that is why bad things happen -- to make us tougher, resilient, independent and courageous. At the end of the day, I am stronger, fiercer and bolder. I am better at the end than I was at the beginning.

And just remember, the pain you are feeling is nothing compared to the joy that is coming.