Communion by intimate participation
This summer I worked my fourth summer at a camp called Fort Caswell. It was not something that I was looking forward to exactly because at the ripe age of 23 you'd think I'd be past working at summer camps, but this is what God had in store for me and who was I to say no? It was not the easiest summer, I came in as co-head life guard and felt a lot of pressure on me to "fix" problems that had occured with the lifeguard squad the year before. I was worried about the guy I was co-heading with because I didn't know him at all, and I was worried about the squad because I only knew one of them and the rest were already pretty good friends.
But our God is great and He raised up an amazing leader and support for me out of my co-head guard!! We became great friends and challenged one another in our daily lives. Over time, the guards got used to the daily work outs and my slight OCD in how things needed to be done. I met some really amazing newcomers and my old friends prayed for me and encouraged me daily, and I was pushed in my relationship with Christ. But the summer was still rough for me in that I didn't feel all there. When I left for training camp for the World Race, it was like a week of vacation, though you would think living at the beach and sitting in the sun 8 hours a day would be a vacation. I definitely missed a lot of the people I had made relationships with this summer, and truly there were some great ones.
As I drove back to camp after training camp, I received a phone call informing me that my Paw Paw was on his death bed. Um, hi shock, I knew this time was coming, but not this soon and certainly not now! I was able to drive by and visit him for 30 minutes and he looked terrible, it was so strange to see such a strong man reduced to such pain. I headed back to camp with a heavy heart and uncertainity.
God blessed me on my arrival back with people loving me and telling me they had missed me, and it felt amazing. However, what little of my heart had been devoted to camp during the first half of the summer was now left at home with my grandparents. After one day, I knew I needed to go home. I talked to my boss and informed him and he graciously told me that was fine, my supervisor pulled me aside and prayed for me, and my co-head guard cried his eyes out!! (that may be an exaggeration.) To me, it was just me leaving and everyone else's summers would go on like normal, but every time I told another staffer, they seemed geniunely sad to see me go. My lifeguards formed a circle and each one prayed over me when I told them.
The last night I was there we had the parent's weekend talent show. I was staying so I could talk about the WR and then head out. But they surprised me at the very end and asked that all the staff come on stage to pray for me. The entire 72 person staff surrounded me, laid hands on me, and prayed for my family, my leaving and the WR!!! It was absolutely beautiful! I knew I had gained a family this summer, but I forgot what family meant. I'm so blessed to have spent the summer of 2011 as a part of the Caswell FAMILY. I miss you all and thank you for blessing me with your pressence and love!!
