When I was a young teenager my then church joined up with a church in Derby for a joint youth camp on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales. The Derby youth group were old hands at camping on that particular site: an old army barracks (from what I remember).

The leaders had prayed much for the week of camp and thought that all the young people would become friends.

That first weekend proved them wrong. They prayed desperately on Sunday night for God to move.

He did.

The next day, Monday, the Lord opened the heavens. Literally.

There was a terrific storm with lightning, wind and flash flooding. Rain fell in sheets, drenching everything. Our one road in and out of camp was flooded such that we were cut off from the mainland for a day or two.

At lunchtime the leaders gave up on trying to keep us dry and organised a football match in the rain.

There are some experiences where we can’t help but end up friends with the people with whom we’ve shared them.

God sent rain and changed the atmosphere.

The following summer, we teens eagerly anticipated meeting up again with our good friends for camp.