It's a Good Thing

One of the songs from our musical at camp was titled "Good Thing." It spoke of how it is a good thing to sing praises to Jesus' name, that the earth is full of His glory, and that we tell of His love. That pretty much sums up what music camp is all about. No matter the staff, the campers, the weather, or choice of songs, it always comes down to praising God and sharing His love.

This year felt a little different for some of us veteran counselors. We were missing more than a few regular staff members, including our volunteer director. I was also disappointed to arrive at camp right as a huge downpour hit the area. Instead of casually unpacking the van, playing a little cornhole and relaxing on our porches, we were rushing to avoid getting our supplies wet and stayed inside for the rest of the afternoon. Losing our electricity right as it was nearing evening was a bonus as well. (I still laugh thinking of Cheryl attempting a shower in the dark, creepy bathhouse!)

In the midst of these unexpected changes, I saw God working. To cover the loss of those counselors, the staff (both old and new) stepped it up and filled in where we were lacking. I never heard one complaint from anyone who had to take on a new role or do the random jobs that never get noticed. Not being able to be active outside that first day let the counselors have more intimate conversations. And losing the power Saturday evening kept us up at the campfire longer, enjoying only the stars for light (and the ridiculous sized flashlights of some of the guys).

Just to note, the power came back on in the middle of the night, the rain paused during our campfire, and completely stopped about an hour before the campers began arriving. We never had another drop the rest of the week. The storm from Saturday brought us the perfect temperature for most of the week.

This all has me thinking about change and how it is a good thing. Ideally, I always thought I would like the same staff each year because we work well together and they are my friends. But, that would mean that most of the people we were blessed with this past week never would have been there, including my husband. And the campers would be stuck with a bunch of pushing 30 year-olds (and those of us who are already there and beyond), who might not have as much energy as the newbies. In my mind, I love arriving at camp on a beautiful day, walking down to Lake Erie and taking in God's creation. This year, I was reminded His creation is not only in the great lake, but in the thunderstorms and in the clouds.

Each year that I go back, something is always slightly different. However, the one constant always remains-we are there to praise our Lord and spread His love.