'votions

Swimming!

That's the nearly unanimous answer I get when I ask kids the question, "What was your favorite part of youth camp?" After 51 weeks full of prayer, fundraising and organizing, coordinating with camp directors, hunting down parents for signatures on forms, renting vans or a bus, driving back and forth through Washington DC traffic, and the myriad of other things we do all year to get kids out of the neighborhood and into a potentially life-changing week out of the city with unique activities and powerful encounters with God, their favorite part of the week was the swimming.

So, when stopped on the freeway for hour number three on the 78 mile drive home, I start to think that next year my life would be happier and theirs would be just as good if, instead of camp, I rented the YMCA for a couple of hours and let them all just swim.

But then there was that one kid one year who didn't say "swimming." He said, "'votions."

At first I didn't know what he was talking about. "You know, them 'votions we do in the cabin each night. Them was my favorite thing at camp," he clarified.

"What made them your favorite?"

"Well, we's all still and quiet and stuff and we gets to talk a little and think a lot about God and life and, you know, stuff like that. It's like God is so real there and we know we're all gonna be OK."

The other boys in the van piped in, "Yeah, I liked that, too. We don't get to do stuff like that when we're at home."

When I've been blessed with the opportunity to get far away from my world for a few days, I must confess that my first response when asked about the trip usually has something to do with a bargain price or free upgrade (or both!) on a rental car. No matter how many amazing places He lets me go or activities He lets me experience, my first words of praise are usually about a rental car.

Does He sometimes think, "Next year I'll just help him find a bargain on a convertible at BWI and he can drive to Scranton and back"?

I'm pretty sure He doesn't think that way. But early in my conversations it wouldn't hurt to acknowledge the blessing of time to think about God and life and, you know, stuff like that which help me know that God is so real and that I'm gonna be OK.

Of course, if I do, then I'll be in some deeper conversation than I might want to have at that moment. Plus, after some true encounters with the Holy I need time to process my experiences before I can put words to them. And besides, the whole thing wouldn't have been near as fun without the great deal on the rental car.

Just like camp wouldn't be near as fun without time at the pool. Plus it takes time for kids to put words to their camp experiences. And they're tired and dirty and hungry and sad to be leaving which isn't exactly a time when any of us want to delve into deeper conversation.

Swimming.

It's a good answer. Plus I know that once laundry is done and there's been a couple of good night's rest and we're sitting around the table with a bowls of ice cream or slices of pizza (or both!), the conversations might just give some hints that the 51 weeks full of prayer, fundraising and organizing, coordinating with camp directors, hunting down parents for signatures on forms, renting vans or a bus, driving back and forth through Washington DC traffic, and the myriad of other things we did actually provided some life-changing opportunities to swim out into the deep with God.

Besides, we got kicked out of the YMCA last time we rented it.

Lord, let praise of You that is in my heart be on my lips and in my deeds that all might see and know Your goodness.