Rainbows and Sunshine (or not)

Camp isn't always smiles and hugs. We don't always get to see kids make a 180. It's not the kind of work where you always receive instant gratification in knowing that the children's lives are different because you spent time with them. Camp is hard. It's time consuming and hot. Kids don't always behave. Personalities clash. You're covered in dirt, sweat, other people's sweat, and bug bites. Sometimes you're disrespected. Sometimes you get lost in all the moving parts of camp and you can feel under appreciated. Sometimes the task of loving so many kids all at once seems completely impossible.

The truth is that it's a pretty improbable goal to try and change the lives of 120 kids and 25 high school helpers all on your own.

Good thing we're never alone. To be completely honest, you have to be pretty insane to work at summer camp. You work extremely hard for long hours and you get paid in smiles and hugs (which is great until rent is due). There is no product at the end that you can look at and see that the time is worth it. All you have is faith that some seeds were planted in those kids and that hopefully, one day, those seeds will take root and start to grow.

I was reminded recently of how blessed and fortunate I am to have been around the Clarkston Community long enough to see some of those seeds bear fruit. Over the years I've watched the most insolent and disrespectful campers become the strongest, most outgoing, helpful high school helpers. I've seen the development of campers from one year to another in their ability to make friends, follow rules, serve others, and learn English.

Working at camp isn't easy. It isn't always fun. Sometimes it even seems impossible, but our God is so good. He uses these two months to create change in these campers that will persist even when we aren't there. He uses the time to humble us by letting Him be the one who sees the entire transformation. He's so good that he even transforms us at the same time! He uses camp to help grow in patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, humility, love, joy, and peace. Just as much as we have an impact on the kids, they have an impact on us. And praise the Lord that they do. We all need to grow in those areas.

The world we live in is not always easy on us. We get run ragged. We are bombarded in the news by the horrible things that happen nearby and around the world. It's unfortunate and deeply saddening BUT so much of it can be used to transform us. To show us where the darkness so we can shine light into it. We can sit and stew and be mad at the world or angry with the injustice of society, or we can bring it to the Lord and watch Him turn it into something beautiful. I feel like that's what camp is like. It's hard and dirty and hot and tempers flare and people don't get along, but we give it all to Him and he takes our mistakes and our pride and our worlds intentions and turns it into something beautiful.

This is my mission field. It's not easy and I love it.