03.22
Cassidy has great memories of ‘Camp Hyatt’. That’s Shawna’s name for Camp Winshape, a retreat center that Cassidy attended in second grade. You can hardly call Camp Winshape a camp. Truett Cathy (Chick Fil A founder) sank $30+ million into an old dairy on Barry College and transformed it into Winshape Retreat Center. Take my word. With no expense spared, it’s FAR nicer than any camp you’ve ever attended.
This past weekend, Cassidy attended a real camp with our students. She endured sleepless nights (her friends snore), fresh mildew, board-like beds, early mornings and late nights all at a place called, Camp High Harbor. Now, from what I hear, her cabin brought the early mornings on themselves. All the other girls were content with jumping out of bed and heading to breakfast; but evidently, seventh grade girls need an extra hour for makeup. Cassidy says that’s because they only had one mirror for 14 girls. A tragedy!
If you’re like me, I dreamed of a Camp Hyatt life. I not only dreamed about it, I expected it. But life includes many extended visits to Camp High Harbor, sleepless nights and all. Of course, when I read Esther 2 & 3, I realize her version of Camp High Harbor was MUCH worse than mine. Being queen may sound great, but it wasn’t. King Xerxes drank excessively, ruled ruthlessly, and conquered viciously. Esther was a beautiful woman, but a stranger in a foreign land. As queen, she was mainly a glorified sex slave. And if she ever offended Xerxes, the results were deadly. She couldn’t even enter Xerxes’ presence without permission. Not exactly Camp Hyatt.
Through all of this, Esther kept her faith in God and “continued to do what Mordecai told her to do.” Amazing. I would have thrown in the towel. I never liked camp much, anyway. Too rustic – and I’m allergic to mildew. And then… top it off by adding a degrading situation like Esther’s??? That would have been the final straw. But Esther was different. She determined to become better because of her struggles.
As l listened to Cassidy’s complaints about Camp High Harbor, I realized how this weekend developed her character far more than Camp Winshape. No offense to Winshape, but it’s too nice. Character germinates in adversity.
I now understand what James was talking about when he said to find joy in adversity. It’s not that I’m suppose to love my trips to Camp High Harbor, but God wants me to see the character that develops while I’m there.
What about you? I’d enjoy hearing about character traits that you developed on trips to Camp High Harbor.
I used to think that just about every week, sometimes every day was a Camp High Harbor. However, over the last few years and months God has been working on “my attitude” and now, even as I’m sitting in a hospital short stay surgical room waiting on the folks to take Cindy back for yet another procedure I can’t help but look back on the last few years and think about how many times I’ve missed out on the opportunity to share God’s goodness with others, in spite of the health issues that Cindy has and continues to endure.
Today, while I wait (and type) I’m saddened to realize that I miss the mark so many times in my walk, but at the same time I’m comforted in knowing that God is there, always has been, always will be and that even though I’ve no clue as to the “why” Cindy has been plagued with health issues, that through only ways that He can, I hope that He has been lifted up through the adversity. I know that Cindy’s response to adversity has been far more gracious than mine, but I pray that His grace is evident in spite of myself, sadly I know I stumble far too frequently.
“I’m saddened to realize that I miss the mark so many times in my walk, but at the same time I’m comforted in knowing that God is there, always has been, always will be…”
Profound words, Tom.
Did Cindy get admitted to the hospital?
Loved this post, Ken!! I love how you see a lesson in every day stories/situations!
Tom, praying for you and Cindy!
Unfortunately, Hannah (also in 7th grade) couldn’t go on the church youth trip last weekend because her school had a retreat at the same time. She said at their camp they didn’t have a mirror at all! (TRAGEDY OF TRAGEDIES!) LOL! But she came home wide-eyed and full of excitement, telling us tales of all the fun they had, despite the lack of modern conveniences like cell phones, computers, etc.
She said something pretty funny about it all “I almost forgot what I looked like (since we had no mirrors) but it didn’t even matter because nobody cared, we were all just having fun.” I thought that was pretty interesting….when we take our eyes off of ourselves and step out of the cocoon of convenience that we often create for ourselves, it often makes it easier to experience relationship with other people and enjoy the “good stuff” in life.
I too long for heaven. I have even tried to help God speed up my delivery. But failed the attempt, thank goodness. I have always had a longing for that “something special” but it akways elluded me. That is until I trusted Him. Now I only long to serve, share and heaven can wait on me. I am ready to go, but am no longer eager to get there.
This has been a good study for me. The heart of Esther to accept Gods resolve of here circumstance should ring truths to us all.