This past weekend, I had the privilege of being a camp counselor for 66 5th and 6th graders. I say 'privilege', because I was so blessed during my time there. I was able to teach these kids about God, spend time getting to know them, and help them through some difficulties that inevitably came up. And in return, they blessed me.
I volunteered to be a camp counselor, despite the fact that I'd only been part of Mission 56 for a short while, and I didn't even really know any of the kids. However, something told me that I was supposed to go.
Once we got there, it seemed like everything was going wrong. The kids were rowdy and wanted to stay up as late as possible, despite there being a curfew, so the adults got hardly any sleep that first night. Then the next morning, I decided to try a game (GaGa Ball, for those interested) which I had never played before. Before long, I was injured - I had stepped on the ball, twisted my leg and landed on my knee, which felt like it had popped out of joint. I couldn't stand, much less walk. But now, I was supposed to lead the kids back to the dining hall, get breakfast, then go climb rock-walls, ride zip-lines and play human foosball.
Did I mention I could barely walk?
But, I sucked it up and did what I was supposed to do. I had volunteered for this trip, and I was determined to make the most out of it. I'd never zip-lined before, so I definitely wanted to do that. I'd never actually completed a rock-wall, so I was determined to ring the bell at the top. I had never played human foosball before, so I was adamant that I would at least try.
Eventually, I couldn't even feel the pain in my knee anymore, simply because I had ignored it so long. Or maybe I had worked out the tight muscles. Either way, it was only a dull throb now, instead of the excruciating pain that it was that morning.
During this weekend, I was able to try things I had never done before, meet kids I had never known, form friendships with people I had never met, and teach children about my Saviour. If I had complained about my knee and used it as an excuse to sit out of the activities, I would've missed out on so much more.
By the end of the trip, I had one kid who was glued to my side: wherever I went, so did he. It was so obvious to the other counselors that this kid had attached himself to me that they allowed him to sit up front with me in the 'chaperone only' area of the bus on the way home.
When we got home, he was so excited to introduce me to his mother, who informed me that he had been extremely nervous about going on this trip at all. She said she was so glad that he had found someone who could encourage him and show him that there was nothing to be anxious about. I didn't even know he was nervous about the trip - to me, he had seemed to be having a blast. But his mom assured me that it was because I was there with him constantly.
How crazy is that? Without even realizing it, I had influenced a 5th grader and helped him through something that I didn't even know he was dealing with! And to think, I would've missed this opportunity if I had simply sat in my room, complaining about knee pain.
This really opened my eyes. I had to reflect on whether or not I wanted to think only about myself and my discomfort, or if I wanted to ignore anything I'm dealing with in order to help others. And after hearing his mom's thankfulness, I have resolved that no matter what comes my way, I will never let my circumstances hinder me from doing what I have signed up to do. I will fulfill my obligations, no matter the cost.
I hope this has been inspiring, and that it helps you open your eyes to those around you. Sometimes, it seems like the only option is to complain. But, if we decide to focus on others instead of ourselves, there's no telling who we might influence.
For me, it was a 10 year old boy who was nervous about being so far away from home for the first time.
♡ me
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