the day i got a secret handshake...

6/27/07

Camp this summer is really challenging my perspective on things... I think because for the most part, people here know nothing about me. They see who I am here and what my abilities are... and somehow, they appreciate them.

The biggest challenge I'm facing now is treating the campers now with the same dignity and enthusiasm that I treated the first campers with. The surface charm of camp is wearing off, but a deeper love for this place is sinking in.

I watched Finding Nemo next to the camper who watched out for me yesterday (it's been raining alllll day), and we now have a "secret" handshake, which is pretty exciting. We stole it from the Finding Nemo turtles, actually.

"Give me some fin... ::slap hands:: Give me some noggin... ::clonk heads:: .... 'dude'..."

Only one problem: he lacks the ability to klonk heads gently. But he does love the handshake... every time we do it, he yells at everyone else that they can't do it because it's a secret. It's sweet.

I'm starting to get deeper glimpses of everyones stories.. and some of them are downright heartbreaking. Most of them come out so inspiring though... especially the campers who weren't born with any disabilities.

So anyhow.. was in a sad mood today so I decided to come up with a list of things I love about this place...

- laughter coming from cabin 11 when the girls think they're getting away with staying up late
- one of the camper workers showing up at my front porch with a slice of watermelon and a big smile because he knew it was my night in
- "give me some fin... give me some noggin... dude."
- carrying a sweet young campers' babydoll (ironically named Bridgette) around in my bookbag
- "hey pttsht woohoo!"
- no cell phones
- quietness of camp at night
- how easy it is to wake up at 7:30 am
- cinnamon rolls
- the confidence of the campers
- my coocoon
- the amazing guy counselors
- praying the Lord's Prayer with the campers in the morning
- Thursday night visitors
- Chuck
- the ridiculous fun of it all...

I'm missing my friends a little bit more than usual this week. I think it's because our cabin is so easy... I have time to be selfish and think about what I don't have ;). Lord, help me remember that I am here for the campers...

"You've got to get yourself together; you are stuck in a moment.. and you can't get out of it."

So I was thinking about how I get bogged down in the little stuff and how it's kind of like when you're driving and you look right over the hood of the car and you miss the world around you - but if you look to the horizon, to the bigger things - you experience the world. You get it all. It's so much better...

Lord, direct my gaze to You through these campers. Help me to have faith that you will enlighten my heart, direct my gaze, hold me close to you. Let me love deeper every day.