You're Never Too Old For Youth Camp

You are never too old it seems to go to youth camp.

. . . even when you are not a youth minister bringing kids to camp.

. . . even if you're not a pastor of a particular church.

. . . even if you haven't sung a praise song on a screen in years.

. . . even when your cabin for the week is nowhere near the bathhouse and you aren't sure you are going to find it with ease in the middle of the night.

If you are a friend of Son Servants, the mission wing of Youth Conference Ministries, you are always welcomed. You are never too old to serve alongside them as I did in Chattanooga last week.

I came without a defined role-- other than the unofficial camp pastor. Soon I began to call myself captain of all things miscellaneous.

In this, I led a few devotions for the adult leaders and taught a group Bible Study at one of the mission sites last Tuesday. But other than this, I moved coolers. I washed tables. I went on errands. I supervised middle school kids cleaning bathrooms.

I struggled at first-- saying to myself, "I'm too old for this" and "What am I doing here? I could be doing something that uses some of my better skills..."

But the more I got into the daily rhythms of last week, the more I realized youth camp for this pastor in transition was a wonderful place to be.

I began to marvel at the joy and enthusiasm of the 19-year-old summer staff for their work (thinking, wow, I'm old! I used to be them!)-- their presence reminded me to not take life so seriously as I naturally do.

I got to learn new worship songs-- songs that I'd never sung before all part of a particular culture of church ministry I'd maybe long written off, but still has much to teach the Church as a whole.

I got to live the Son Servants mentality: "To love is to serve" as there was never a task too dirty that ANY of us would not be asked to do (cleaning toilets was a daily part of my job)-- and I loved it strangely. Work of the hands is good for the soul!

I got to spend quality time with a dear friend, entering into the deep waters of life that only experiences like going to Sam's and Sam's again and again can provide you.

After a couple of days, my frustrations of "What am I doing here?" were turned into exclamations of thanksgiving for being in such a place of love and acceptance-- something I've really missed in our family's transitional life for the past six months.

I'm so glad my life schedule allowed me to say "Yes!" to this opportunity to go back to youth camp last week.

I'm so glad I received the challenge of being pushed in my life toward new patterns of eating, work and prayer.

I'm so glad to have been wrapped up in the blanket of Christian community that only a camp setting like this can provide-- if even for only 8 short days.

I AM SO GLAD that in my life that God's gracious leading is often about circles. Circles that take me back to physical places and emotional spaces where I still have more to learn-- even if I could boast saying "I'd been there and done that. . . " Nope (not true!) in fact, I still have so much to learn!

You're never too old for youth camp if you are a part of the Son Servants family and I'm very proud to have been welcomed by them again last week.