the day it started again...

6.18.07

Well, it's the first night of session two. First nights are always interesting, for sure. Our campers this week are so different than our girls were last week... a lot older. A lot more dependent.

I can already tell where my patience will be tested... one of our girls is really hard to get to know... tough around the edge, if that makes any sense. That's the thing about camp.. you bring dignity and respect to these peoples' lives by allowing them to do what they can do. Sometimes, though, you wonder if they feel it. Really feel it.

We have an amazing woman who is blind in our cabin... for once those blind team building games are coming in handy :). She's got a cute personality, too.. I painted her nails in the craft building today, and she was so proud of them that she kept showing them off to people with this "oh, honey -- let me tell you" expression on her face. Leading her around the carnival games was inspiring... she wanted to play, even though she couldn't see what she was doing. Her grin when she knocked down the pins or dunked the cook or rode the bobcat or whatever -- was beautiful. Only way to describe it. She's got a spark to her.

I was thinking about our interractions tonight, and it made me think about our relationship with Christ -- when we go where He leads us, we knock down pins in heaven. We can't always see them, but He can. Maybe that's why the angels are always rejoicing -- they live in the fruitful bliss of Heaven.

We also have a sweet little older lady with downes in our cabin -- no teeth, too.. which makes life interesting. No teeth in addition to a southern accent makes for a whole lotta vowels and very few consonants. And not vowels that you see on paper.. it's an adventure. Everything takes her forever, too... we beaded necklaces and hers took her two hours. She sat next to one of our hyper campers today and just stared at him for awhile. She slowly gummed down a bag of chips, and he screamed at the top of his lungs. The contrast was comical.

I'm enjoying the counselors a whole lot -- they're incredible. I won't delve details on here, but some of them just stand out... you can tell they're not there because its fun, they're there because its where they come alive.

"If we are who we are called to be, He will set our soul on fire." -St. Catherine of Sienna

Lord, bless my heart and the hearts of those people You desire me to serve. May I remain true to You in all circumstances, remaining at Your side through faith, through prayer. Open the eyes of my heart. Amen!