I’ve just experienced an awesome week volunteering at my
church’s kid's summer camp (vacation bible school). This was my ‘sophomore’ year being a Head Counselor to a
vibrant group of 22 nine year old boys. Something I’ve learned, is there’s a
HUGE difference between that ‘Freshman’ and ‘Sophomore’ year. The first time;
you have plans, expectations, and eagerness to change some children’s lives. This year I came in knowing that I just
wanted GOD to use me as HE needed me and leave the changing of kid’s lives to
HIM.
The first time out, you have that dream of perfect kids,
behaving like little angels and everything goes according to schedule…(makes me giggle today thinking about those naive thoughts)!! A kid’s
Church camp is pretty much the same as life:, stuff happens, you roll with the
punches, and different personalities will cause conflict. Kids are no different
than us adults, the difference being adults have learned you don’t call people
names to their faces (whereas adults wait to the backs are turned). Not
everyone is going to ‘like’ you, so hang out with those who do - instead of trying
to make the person who doesn’t like you, change their mind. My freshman year I ended up disappointed in myself, upset that I had to get on
to some kids for acting inappropriately or disrespectful.
What I discovered along the way though: these are kids,
they are at camp to learn and I volunteered to teach them, it just meant
teaching them what is appropriate behavior and how to show respect along with
teaching them about GOD! I honestly thought all my lil campers last year
probably hated me after having to correct so many of them and move them around
from their ‘friends’ (aka partners in crime) – but I was totally blown away
this year by seeing those same kids come up to me and give me hugs and say ‘Hi
Ms. Dawn!’.
This year I went in knowing that each and every kid has a
different story and background. They are at camp because their parents or
grandparents wanted them to come, they want to have fun and be with their friends. Our Church does an awesome job of keeping the kids focused on God while entertaining them. My goal at camp was to lead by example, that’s what Jesus taught us to do and that’s
what I wanted to teach my campers. If someone needed correction, I corrected them,
if they apologized and showed better behavior, I told them how much I appreciated
their choices; but if they continued to show the wrong choices, I told them there would be consequences. Jesus loved us through the sins and mistakes of our lives, so I was going to keep loving these kids through the mistakes they made - not by labeling them and expecting them to make the same mistakes.
One child in my group started off on the wrong foot, he had to have corrections made several times the first day; but I told him at the end of the day that tomorrow was
a fresh start and I believed in him. Over the next couple of days I had
encouraging talks with him and I always noticed he would sing at worship just as loudly as anyone
else, always eager - just needing direction for that eagerness. After Chapel one day, he came up to me and said he wanted to pray with me but
couldn’t see me up front (during Chapel the Head Counselors go up front and we
have an opportunity for the campers to come up and pray) so he was apologizing for going to another counselor – I told
him he didn’t need to apologize, we can pray with anyone and we don’t even have
to pray with someone, we can talk to God all on our own, anytime we want. Last
night when he was going home, he asked me if I was going to be at camp next year,
because he wanted to be in my group again, that made my heart smile.
Our church prayed over our camp long before this week, one
of the prayers was that each camper, each volunteer would be placed where God
wanted them to be. I know God answered that, I know each and every child that
was in my group was meant to be where they were. I still have so much to learn, and I love how
God will use these kids to teach me as much as I can teach them. I pray that
God will use me and that I will bring honor and glory to HIS name and not harm
the hearts of those around me. Every day we touch the lives of those around us,
whether we want to or not, the question is: are we encouraging them or harming
them. Our words, our actions, they make a difference; we can plant a seed,
water that seed, encourage its growth or we can uproot what was planted, the choice is
ours.
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it,
but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or
who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work
together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard
work. For we are both God’s workers. And
you are God’s field. You are God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT)
