A few days ago I got back from a 5 day long camp known as Royal Family Kids Camp. This camp brings kids ages 6-12 who have had an extremely difficult life either from abuse or neglect in some way and gives them the chance to see what Godly men and women look like and experience the love they can give. We are with the kids 24/7 and experience the good times and the bad times with them. We hear there stories of how they got to be where they were and most of all we got to show these kids a love they had never experienced before and show them the love of God.
I was a counselor last year for this camp and it changed my life. I saw things and experienced things that caused me to question my faith and want more which lead me to the World Race. I thought last year was life changing and difficult but it was nothing compared to what happened this year.
One of my campers this year was new and I was told he would be very difficult to handle. He was a 6 year old boy in a 12 year old boys body. He had some intellectual challenges that other kids didn’t have and was very immature, impatient, and many other things. All of these things caused his mother to try and get rid of him. In open court, while he was sitting in the room, she told the court she didn’t want her son anymore and didn’t think he was important. Unfortunately, he was stuck with her no matter how hard she tried.
He rarely had a father figure in his life if ever. From day one he clung to me and was always wanting to be around me. This was a blessing and a curse at the same time. He listen to me when I talked to him and responded in ways that he didn’t do with most other people. Unfortunately, he only listened to me in most cases and got out of control when I wasn’t around. It was extremely frustrating and rewarding at the same time.
The whole week he was sharing a cabin with 5 other 11-12 year old boys so he struggled to fit in. They wanted to do things he didn’t want to do and it was very obvious to them that he was different. He noticed this and did whatever he had to to try and fit in. He was very inappropriate, defiant, and not himself at all. I know this because when it was just him and I we were able to have great conversations and he was a completely different person.
On Thursday night all of these internal problems this boy was struggling with became an external problem for all of us. I was on my break trying to regather my thoughts from the whole weeks problems and I came to the realization that I was out of my league. Not five minutes after I thought that, I got a call over the radio that I was to get back to the cabin immediately. I ran to the cabin and on the way all I could think was “God please be with me, I can’t do this, its all in your hands now my tank is empty.”
I got to the cabin and found our director outside with the 5 other boys from the cabin and multiple other staff at the camp waiting outside. Our camp director told me that my camper basically just snapped. He started to throw things around, yell at the kids, and they started to fear for the other campers safety in the cabin. He told them that he only wanted to talk to me. I walked into that room expecting to be battling a 12 year old boy over right and wrong and tried to think of things to say. I walked in and experienced something I have never seen before. I just walked over to his bed and worked on Legos with him for about an hour and just talked. I don’t remember what I said or what he said but I just know God took over and it all was ok. Besides one other smaller incident later that night with him not listening to the other staff nothing else happened and there was peace. Thanks to God just being present the conflict was resolved.
I didn’t sleep well that night mostly because I was thinking to myself that there was only half a day left and this week was a waste. This boy came here for healing and hope and I didn’t feel we gave that to him as best we could.
The next day was pretty rough until right before lunch. We were all standing in a circle and singing a song we had learned that week except for one younger boy who was sitting in the middle of the circle with his head down. My camper walked over to him and sat next to him and talked. I didn’t hear what he said but I did see him take off his hat and place it on this little boys head in an attempt to cheer him up. That same boy who on day 1 wouldn’t even let anyone borrow a piece of paper was giving his hat to a boy he didn’t even know.
I knew at that moment that it was nothing I could do to help this boy but what God could do through me. And, in that moment when I had asked God to take control he did and he did things in that boys heart that I never could have imagined.
The rest of that day was difficult because he started to realize that the week was almost over and it was time to go home. We got bak to our host church, where all the kids would be picked up, and he walked straight for the door. I asked what was wrong and his family came in and the first words they said was, “If you are going to ignore us than we will ignore you” and than they just walked away.
From that moment on I knew exactly what it was that God had done in that boy that week. God put me as his counselor to show him that he is worth so much more than he knows. He is so important to God and so special that God gave his only son. This boys whole life he has been told he isn’t worth anything, he is a waste, nobody likes him, and I can only imagine what else. And God was using me to show this boy that he is worth so much that HE gave me patients to stand by his side through the whole entire week.
Saying good bye was one of the hardest things I had ever done. I didn’t know what would happen after he was out of my hands. We both knew that he was going back to a very hostile environment. But I let go and left it all in God’s hands.
I have no doubt that boy will do incredible things in his life someday. I saw it in him, the holy spirit showed me who he was and it was incredible. He just needs to always remember that He is a child of the king! He has great things in store and just needs to fight through it and know he isn’t alone and that God is right there with him.
Dear God, please be with my camper not just today, but every day of his life. Remind him who he is and how vitally important he is to your everlasting plan. Be with him when times get hard and everyone else tells him its not worth it. Thank you for bringing him into my life and being a miracle like I have never seen before. He changed more in my life than I could ever have hoped to change in his. I pray for this boy to be wrapped in your strength, love, and grace everyday. I could go on forever but I know that it is all in your hands and I thank you for that.
Amen.
