Camp Send Off

Summer is here. Camps are in session. I can feel the hype, energy, and excitement in the air. From shopping last minute needs of bandanas for Western Night to colorful tie dye shirts for the cabin volleyball tournament the hustle is in full swing. There is something special about camp that draws teenagers away from their phones to experience real relationships, overcome fears, and at the end of the week board the bus longing to take camp home with them.

I could fill pages describing the camp atmosphere, highs and lows, and incredible memories that had an impact on my life at a young age and as an adult volunteer leader. However, what lingers in my mind is a recent memory of a particular camp send off. It was two years ago. Time for regular week-long Young Life camp for high school students. I was fortunate to help with check-in for the group of students heading to Colorado. Early Friday morning, the parking lot quickly fills with cars spilling of parents, campers, and way too many suitcases. They arrive in preparation for anything and everything camp could offer. The excitement and anxiousness of the unknown is palpable.  

At check-in, most of us volunteers were not familiar with the campers by name, so we came up with the question, “remind me your name again?” to greet each camper when they walked up. It sounds more welcoming than the alternative, “hey kid, who are you?” I am kidding, a little.

After campers find their place on the buses and volunteers stow all suitcases and duffle bags underneath the buses, the drivers get the green light to take off. About an hour after buses are cruising on the highway, God kept taking my mind back to the question, “remind me your name again?” I replayed the morning’s activities. There was not a particular conversation I could remember, but the question we repeated at check-in over and over is what stayed with me.

Why, God, does this matter?

Then it hit me like a wave. God, remind me of Your name again. Is it just me, or do you also forget who God is? I need the reminder sometimes away from all the doing. God is very kind to send reminders in ordinary moments like Friday morning camp send offs. The names of God flood my mind in that moment. I start saying them out loud to myself. God, You are King, Creator, Everlasting Father, the Holy One of Israel, Savior, Redeemer. You are love. You are holy. As God reminds me of His names, I stand in awe. My knees get a little weak and I feel my heart swell. I am filled with reverence, wonder, and gratitude. The names of God are endless. He is matchless. He is steadfast. He endures. Then I respond the only way I know how and that is to celebrate! Prayer, music, and dancing are my favorite forms of celebration. Find what brings you most alive and do that because God loves it.

Reflecting on that early Friday morning, I think of answered prayers that testify to the names of God. He is Redeemer that revives a country like Zambia where I passed fields of a generation buried by HIV, but witnessed hope and empowerment for the next generation through access to education and resources for a better life. He is Healer for new parents that bury their stillborn and in ten years frolic on the beach with their youngest three healthy children. He is Provider for a girl that cannot find her place in high school, but a few years later is fully known and loved by a community of people. He is Comfort for a guy that finds his bride at 21 and loses her to cancer a couple of decades later. He is Savior for all of us that used to live in darkness, shame, and defeat. But now, we walk in light, freedom, and victory because God is King. And He will forever be.

What an exciting way to start the summer!