Retreating Away!

My second LDM SonRise Retreat was fabulous, although it got off to a rocky start when the camper I was assigned to canceled out on the weekend. I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to be Nikki's camp companion, but because I had extra time on my hands, I got to know lots of other companions and campers this weekend.

COMPANIONS: I am amazed at the hearts of the teenagers I met this weekend. A great many of the volunteers/companions that participated this weekend were junior high and high schoolers. They definitely outnumbered the adults. Yes, again, I was one of the "old ones." Hee hee!

Honestly, I've never considered myself very good with teens. I feel like I can't relate to them. My sister can but not me. Teens scare me personally. Put me in a room with babies and little kids, and I'm totally cool with that. I have that twinkle in my eye, and it's easy for me. I love little ones, but put me in a room with teenagers, and I revert back a couple of decades. I'm back in middle school and high school, and I'm the strange chubby girl running around in culottes and skirts all the time. I'm desperately wanting to just be like everybody else, but I'm different, and I know it. I'm as uncool as you can get.

Somehow even now, I think being with teenagers reminds me of the fact that I was never popular back in the day. Cool kids make me nervous, which is completely hilarious. I'm twice their age, and I'm intimidated by them? I laughed at myself more than once for even contemplating the cool factor. How silly is that! I was driving before they were born, I was in college while they were in diapers, I've been living on my own for half my life now, and I'm suddenly concerned that these kids will think I am a freak? HA! YEAH! So I laughed at my momentary lapse of insanity and decided I was going to throw cool out the window and just be me regardless.

And guess what? I found these pre-adults to be incredible human beings. They are full of hopes and dreams, looking ahead to high school or college, wrestling with purity, struggling with their desires, contemplating future ministry, determining a course of study or vocation, making plans for their future, etc. We had a lot more in common than I could have imagined.

And this weekend, I was especially touched by their generous spirits, unfailing patience, overwhelming kindness and warmth, and their Godly character. Volunteering at a SonRise Retreat can be a lot of work, and these "kids" jumped right in and tackled each task with calm courage and quiet grace. I'm not sure I could have managed it as well as they did when I was their age, and in some cases, I'm not sure I could handle it as well even now. It was a convicting and exhilarating experience. I was proud to be serving along side them and grateful for the opportunity to knock down a "prejudice" of my own. These teens rocked!

CAMPERS: Like at Camp Spearhead, I find that I just have to immerse myself in the weekend and BE MY SELF. The goofier I am, the more involved I am with the campers, the more face-to-face interaction – the better. If that means that I am belting out tunes at the top of my lungs, dancing when I don't have any rhythm and don't know what the heck I'm doing, asking Ellie to skip with me on our walk just to make her laugh, making funny faces to cheer someone up, playing games and ignoring the rules, coloring outside the lines, taking photographs again and again, answering questions about why I am not married yet – SO BE IT! I am there for the campers. This is their weekend, and I am just blessed to be a part of it.

I was again struck with the sheer honesty of the prayers and hearts of those I worshiped with. I think prayer time was my favorite part of each day. We prayed before each meal or following our Bible study time, and any camper or companion that wished to pray would go forward and have their turn at the microphone. I loved the campers' candor...prayers for pets, roommates, disagreeable family members, Michael Jackson's soul, Christmas wish lists, that so and so would be nicer to them, etc. It was beautiful. I was convicted by their directness and honesty with GOD. No pretense. No form or particular style. No lofty adjectives or fluff. Just a conversation with the ALMIGHTY and the confidence to speak their hearts with their FATHER. I love that.

There is so much I am learning from these weekends...