I spent my whole life waiting for the moment that I could encounter a life-changing experience. Time after time I would hear a speaker in church express how one event shaped their life. Every time I hear guest speakers in church, I would impatiently wait for the day that I could have my life-changing experience. This summer, I had the opportunity to be a camp counselor for two months in beautiful, Santa Cruz, California. I lived up where redwood trees lay and deer walk past. Life was a dream. For the most part.
Here are a couple of small messages that kept me sane throughout the three months;
Be Comfortable with The Uncomfortable
Anyone who knows me is aware that I am absolutely terrified of spiders. For some reason, it did not click in my head that I would be around spiders. The first night that I got to camp, I planned to shower because the heat had gotten too much. As I walked into the shower, I saw the biggest wolf spider. I immediately screamed for my friend Danika, who was the naturalist at camp, to give me the courage to take a shower with the spider. At first, I begged for her to kill the being for me (which she insisted not to) because she was morally not allowed to kill any insects or animals so she could stay true to her role at camp. After twenty minutes, I eventually gathered up the courage to go in the shower. I would be lying to you if I said that it got any easier. However, I learned to make the most of it all the creepy critters that surrounded me. To dedicate my time and energy on what mattered the most, the campers. I decided that if I continuously let all the things that made me feel uncomfortable to control my life, I would spend too much time being miserable instead of enjoying the time I had with my campers. Even though I had over twenty bug bites all over my body after two weeks, I stopped using bug spray and no longer had more than four bug bites all over my body.
Photo credit to pinterest.com
Let God Take Control
For as long as I could remember, I have had a type two personality. I always like to know where I am going, when I will get there, and rush while doing it all. With a tight schedule at camp and handling eight to even sometimes 26 kids, I learned that trying to control the outcome of every situation would drive me crazy for three months. In my times of need, I truly learned how to give it all to God, especially when I felt like giving up. There was one night on week seven, where my campers started to spiral out of control. During our night staff meeting that week the pastor let us meditate and lay on the floor. The pastor played soft-spoken music that spoke of how loved we all are. All I could do was cry for God at that moment. I needed the strength to give my all to these kids after it all became too much. What others don’t really talk about when being a camp counselor is how much you have to give yourself up. In the end, nothing was about me. Everything was about making the experience the best for the campers who attended.
Photo Credit to pinterest.com
Be In The Moment
I am forever grateful that I applied to be a camp counselor on a whim. There is something breathtaking about working with kids, seeing how their small souls can learn to make the most of every situation. Watching them include their peers, whom they only met hours ago, in activities, hearing their child-like love about God all taught me how grateful I am to live in this life. Having campers from the ages of five all the way to nineteen, I saw wonders across the spectrum. Seeing how vulnerable the children became throughout the week to others and myself showed me how much our lives can change in a week if we just let the world do its work. Every week I was left heartbroken as I watched all of my campers leave, each group taught me how to enjoy God’s creation with a carefree spirit. I was reminded that no matter how stressful life gets, no matter where we are, all we have to do is pause and take a look around us. The beauty comes out of the simplest actions of one another and kindness goes a long way.
Photo Credit to pinterest.com
Photo Courtesy of Author.
Thank you to all the Pastors, campers, and coworkers that shaped my life-changing experience. You have all impacted me in ways that are hard to put into words…
xoxo,
Sia