I had the awesome privilege of being a camp counselor at Camp Dayspring last week. It was an absolute blast and a blessing that I had not anticipated in any way. I knew it would be good for the kids–but I didn’t realize how deeply affected I would be personally. There was of course, the activities, the snacks, the fun of it all- though I have to say that the zipline SEEMED like more fun than it actually WAS. But more importantly– there was the Word of God–preached by a clown yet delivered with a serious intention to plant a seed in the hearts of children, to remind them of God’s love for them, and maybe for some–tell them and show them for the first time–that they are loved, they are valued, they are important. To be a part of something so big–just to be in the atmosphere of unity and encouragement–was so beyond what I expected. The theme of the camp was “I am not alone,” which when you consider the broken situations so many children live in now –was so timely and perfect. To think that a child may have for the first time recognized where they fit in God’s plan, that they have a place in his kingdom, that they are truly not alone–it was overwhelming. I mean–we see it all the time–at VBS, in Kids’ Church or the Kids’ Crusade–but there is something about spending days and nights in this atmosphere of praise and worship that just keeps the Spirit moving. Basically–it was wonderful and I can’t wait to do it again!
Now–details–like I had 12 of the funnest, funniest girls ever! We shared a cabin and I hope they all went home with their own clothes and there are no mad mommies cuz I really tried to keep the wet stuff away from the clean stuff! We dealt with our share of homesickness, regular sickness, sleepiness, and hot stickiness. We walked, ran, swam, climbed, swung, pedaled, and zipped til we just couldn’t do another thing–and had a great time with it all. Thanks to everyone who planned and worked to make this possible for so many–maybe tomorrow I’ll have something clever to say about it all but for now–I’m still recuperating. I said I survived . . . but just barely!
One Less Piece of Paper 