The last few weeks have been full of moments that I will cling to for the next 11 months! I love looking back at the moments and places in time where they are full of pure joy. Those moments where there are bursts of enthusiasm and non-stop giggles! Those moments for me have been found on the farm I grew up on with my three siblings playing every Sunday afternoon, or catching fireflies just as the sun is about to set.
A place that I continually look back to and find not just moments but an entire summer of pure joy was the summer of 2009. I worked as a program counselor at the boat dock and indoor pool as a lifeguard for The Center For Courageous Kids. I was able to see kids who had never experienced camp before, experience it for the first time. Those moments of raw emotion bursting out of their eyes and grins is what gets me excited. I love being a part of the AHA moments in people’s lives!! – It was a time where I truly remember finding God’s identity for me.
This past week I had the opportunity of going back to my most favorite place on earth; I got to spend the week experiencing camp with the youngest girls and three amazing camp counselors. One of my favorite moments was helping a camper pet a horse for the first time, she was afraid and determined to not touch a horse… so as the other campers got on their horses we talked about how these horses are CCK trained horses and they love campers! As the last horse came up she decided she would pet the horse but that was it, no sitting or riding on the horse. Well as she touched the horse she said “my mommy will be so proud, but I don’t want to do that again!” Well by the end of the other campers trail ride, she was begging to touch the horse again. That is the magic of camp, it’s seeing kids opening their eyes to something new.
During the last night of camp there is closing camp fire, where Ed, the camp director, finishes out camp by telling a story… his story is so fitting to how this week has turned out leading to my final deadline before launch. Ed talked about how an ancient tribe would send each of their children up to the top of this mountain with any of their parents, aunts, uncles, or grandparents. The children had to find their own way to the top. All along the way there were places where GOYA was etched into the trees or the ground to show they were headed in the right direction. Each child of the tribe found his or her own way whether that was with a group of multiple friends, running ahead to get there the quickest way possible, or even some who would start the journey and then stop along the way to help the tribes they would encounter along the way.
As the children would come back from their mountain top, many of the tribes leaders would be chanting “GOYA” as they would arrive back to their homes. GOYA: Give Of Yourself Always, each experience or skill that was learned along was to be passed on, it would all be for nothing if they chose to keep it to themselves and not share their lessons learned along the way.
Give of yourself always is a quality that Jesus also shared while He was on Earth. Jesus was interruptible, he was always willing to stop what he was doing to meet the needs of others. This is also a quality that G-Squad has blessed me with this past week. With their support and prayers, along with many others sacrificing and investing in the passion that God has fueled my heart with and continued to not only provide what is needed but even more. I am so excited to start this next 11 months with G Squad and Team Undefined!
