An Answer for Caleb

My favorite picture of Caleb from the summer

One of the great things that happens at camp is that we all three meals together every day.  So every day you can end up sitting with different people and having different conversations, listening to people's stories.  It's so enjoyable.

One day I ended up sitting next to Caleb, who is in high school in Minnesota. This was his second summer at camp, and I became friends with him on Facebook.  As a result I had seen some prom pictures and asked him about them.  He proceeded to tell me how confusing girls could be and how he didn't understand them.

I said to him and Keith, who was sitting across the table from us, "I wouldn't go back and be a teenager again for any amount of money."

Keith said, "Well, if I could go back knowing what I know now..."

Caleb replied, "What do you know now?"

Very insightful.

Caleb is often very insightful.

I told him I'd have to think about that for a while.  I didn't have a good answer right then and there.  So that's what this post is all about.  Answering that really good question.

This is not the first time the idea of wishing you could know things that you will learn when you are older has been presented.  There is actually a book called Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self.  Many famous people contributed letters for this book.  You can read excerpts from the book here.  The letter by Jim Belushi is really wonderful.

So here's my own letter to my sixteen-year-old self.  I don't think it will help Caleb very much; lots of stuff you just have to figure out for yourself (but not necessarily by yourself).

Dear Pam,
I wish I could first of all convince you that you need to be less boy-crazy.  I know you hate it every time Mom points this out to you and you resent it, but she is right.  Other people may not know the non-stop obsession that boys hold in your mind, but you know.  Learn to be more subtle in acting on your feelings for boys.  I forgive you, though, because this drive to be accepted and attractive to the opposite sex is strong, almost overwhelming.

You're just beginning to understand what living the Christian life is all about.  Keep learning and listening from those around you because they are good people who love the Lord deeply.  Always take your faith seriously, but don't use it to build walls between you and your friends.  Find some common ground with people like Amy, maybe a project you can both agree upon as an important act of service.  This might open a door for great conversations about what you both believe.

Next year you'll be chosen to go to Girl's State.  GO!  Don't let your insecurities about wearing a one-piece swimsuit when everyone else there will have a two-piece suit keep you from having this great experience.  In reality it is such a small thing (although it is big in your mind).

When you get ready to go to college, check out a lot more schools.  You can go just about anywhere, and you can find great Christian people to be friends with on any campus.  Explore all your options.

Finally, just know that you're going to have a great life.  You'll find a good husband and raise some wonderful kids together.  You'll travel and end up getting to be a missionary, even though you think it's a dream that won't happen.  God is full of mercy and grace.  He will see you through the hard days that come, and He is worthy of all the praise for the blessings of the life you have ahead of you.  Thank Him every day for His great love. 

                                                                               Been there,
                                                                               Me

My sixteen-year-old self

Incredible Young People

Every summer we get to work with a group of incredible young people who make up the summer staff.  There is always a mix of familiar faces and those brand new to the Camp-of-the-Woods experience.  I come away each year feeling so blessed by the time I have been able to spend with these great kids.

The movie you will find at the end of this post was made as a tribute to them.  The song that plays is "Do Something" by Matthew West.  It is a great song, and the words are so true.  These young people took the challenge seriously, and THEY DID SOMETHING.  I was able to share some closing thoughts with them, and I'll share them again here.

"I am thankful for the investment you made in the Kingdom of God this summer.  You (and your parents) made the choice to forego money you could be making this summer and chose instead to invest in the lives of Canadian kids.  You have been the ones who cultivated the soil, who planted seeds, and in some cases who saw that seed bear fruit as some campers prayed with you to receive Christ.

In another sense, you too have been the soil.  There have been things that we in leadership have helped you with, rocks that needed to be removed from your life, rocks like attitudes of the heart that needed to be changed.  We have seen much growth in you, and we see your fruit.

You have done an amazing work this summer.  We talked many times about 2 Corinthians 5:20: We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us.  And so He says to you, through me, 'I love you all the time.  I want you to feel my love always.  What you have felt here at camp is what I want as a reality for your life.'

What a wise investment you have made by spending your summer here!  What will you do to make a wise investment when you get back home?"

It was a privilege to know these people and spend the summer with them.  I miss them very much.  I look forward to seeing them again soon.

You can watch the staff video here.

Treasure of the Summer

Finally we are home.

It was a wonderful summer full of hard work and lots of fun.  I have story upon story to tell.  I'll begin by sharing my treasures.  Every summer I collect a wide assortment of things that I love, things that connect me with people I've met over the summer.  Here are some of them:

My friend Billie loves to work with yarn.  In honor of our
theme this summer, she made Madeline and me
a pair of shark slippers. Adam has a pair too.
These make me laugh.

We have made friends with a couple from Michigan who live in a
 house on the other side of the highway from the camp.  Larry and
Noel live "off the grid" all summer.  Noel painted
this picture of The Loon's Nest.  It is beautiful.

One of my very favorite campers, Lindsey, drew this for me
while she was at camp.
She is such a talented artist, and I plan to have this framed.

For the past three years a man named Alex has come with
one of the work teams.
He is such an interesting man, and a retired shop teacher.
He made this cross for me to hold when I am praying.

It is always good to have tangible reminders of connections we make with others.  These things make my heart full with the memories of the great work we were so blessed to participate in this summer.