You probably won’t believe me after taking a look at the pictures featured here, but at the beginning of this week of camp, the campers were having a hard time focusing on deep spiritual matters. Yep, they just wanted to have fun. Each of us thrives on fun and here at Camas we go out of our way to provide multiple opportunities for pure, unadulterated silliness.

Point in case: skit night and that thing with the pudding and the gummy worms and all the bare (but recently cleansed) feet. And yet the staff wanted so much more for these wonderful kids. For choosing to dig gummy worms out of a tray of pudding and feeding it to a friend with your toes, does not mean that you cannot also choose to lift your face and hands and heart to God as you worship. It does not mean that you cannot also pour over your Bible, searching for all that God offers in His word. It does not mean that you cannot ask the tough questions and say the hard thing when your counselor stands before you and urges you to join the discussion. 

And so on Tuesday morning, the speaker and several of the staff met on the porch to pray. They prayed for the campers, that they would be willing to let go of those easy surface concerns that take up most of our time. That they would be willing to risk depth and questions, thoughtfulness and a genuine heart to seek. Then he called them on it. Challenged the campers to look deeper than the bright glittering surface of life. Pressed them to consider being willing to dive deep. 

The next day was baffling to watch. Campers pulled the speaker aside to talk instead of swimming in lake Chelan or playing volleyball. Campers abandoned an awesome board game to ask difficult questions of import. Campers waylaid their counselors to talk, postponing activities and broaching difficult topics. 

Deep Dives

That is what Van Helsing calls a thoughtful discussion. The entire week was full of Deep Dives. Planned and unplanned. Speaker led as well as camper initiated. And so here we stand, astounded once again by all that God can do when we pray according to His will. Of course He wanted these campers to go deep. When we begged Him for this, He poured out His power among us. Why does this continue to surprise. Despite our teeny tiny bit of faith, He is great and He is good. This week was so full. Deep Dives and gummy worms, all wrapped up together and wonderful to behold.

Boo Boo