Last Sunday, at 5
a.m. I stood in the parking lot of Kaw Prairie Community Church as a large
charter bus pulled away with our middle school campers. The 50 youth on that bus were made up of
three area churches, and were bound for Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in
Hillside, Colorado.
I’m sure the nerves
on the inside of that bus were palpable. Heading off to camp fills any student
or adult leader with some anxiety.
However, standing outside the bus, there was no doubt about the emotions
the parents were feeling as they waved goodbye.
A quick glance around the pre-dawn parking lot showed a wide range of
emotions for the family members there.
There was excitement, for sure, but also angst. And, I completely understand that. Sending a child hundreds of miles away, for
maybe the first time, is certainly very hard to do.
That angst quickly turned to laughter for the group when I
realized that our diligent group of parent bus packers had loaded my briefcase
and another youth workers backpack in to the bus’s luggage compartments. Immediately, we called an adult leader on the
bus. After a brief trip around the
block, the bus circled back in to the lot and our work packs were spared a free
ride to Colorado without us. And, our
students received their second sendoff to camp in a 5-minute span.
All packing issues aside, during the week in Colorado, our
students will experience one of the best camps I’ve ever seen in action. They will go white water rafting, have the
opportunity to climb Eagle’s Peak (14,000 feet ), or take the less challenging
foothills hike (now know at camp as the D.J. option). They will do all sorts of crazy camp
activities with new friends. And,
they’ll dive headfirst into God’s word in daily bible studies and amazing
outdoor worships. For many, it will be a
defining moment not only for their faith, but in their young lives. That’s the reason an experience like camp is
so important. Quite often, we need to
remove ourselves from the everyday craziness, so that we can truly experience
the amazing gifts our Creator has given us.
But, as we continue with our “On the road” series this week,
I am continually struck by the awesome commitment that group of parents made to
their child’s faith journey. Yes, the
kids a life and faith experience this week, but so are our campers’
parents. Letting go is not easy. And, letting go of a child for a week, while
relying on intermittent Facebook pictures as the best mode of communication is
really a challenge. I’m not sure how
I’ll react one day when I send Addison or Parker off to camp. Right now, even the rare date night with my
wife, Lori, always turns in to us discussing how much we miss our kids.
And yet, in letting go, there is now room for growth. Whether it’s sending a child to camp, letting
go of grudge, or even letting go of unnecessary business, there is power in
this action. Because, as followers of
Christ Jesus, we are sent. We are sent
out. We are called to be on the road, to
be in motion, to move away from that which distracts us from our walk and work
with God!
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal
covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in
us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews
13:20-21
 |
| DJ Whetter, Dir. of Youth Ministires |
And, we are equipped by God to do this work. Yes, our camp parents had some anxiousness
about their children being so far away.
Yet, they were also committed to giving our students this
opportunity. I can tell you that every
one of our campers was well equipped for their journey. And, they will return
with a new sense of themselves. Please
keep all our campers and camp leaders in your prayers this week. But, let’s also celebrate our parents for
their commitment to letting go so that their children might hit the road and
seek a new kind of relationship with each other and God.
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