I have sat down the last couple of days thinking that it was time to write something in the blog. I have started writing something, then gotten halfway through and decided that it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I’ve been having trouble figuring out what to say. I was looking for “Something Beautiful” to say.
I love being surrounded in God’s creation. Asheville, North Carolina is the most beautiful place that I have ever been to. The summers in Asheville are perfect. In the morning, it’s just cool enough to need a light jacket as you walk around. As the day goes on, it warms up, but not too warm and without that Alabama humidity. There have been so many moments in the evening, where there isn’t a cloud in the sky and all you see is thousands of bright stars. Perfection.
I love the brotherhood that is formed with fellow staff each summer. Some of my best and closest friendships are formed at camp. Being able to hang out with Christian men who accept you as you are, with all your imperfections and are there to build you up and help you grow as a Christian, is something special.
I love the kids. At camp, the kids are away from the iPods and cellphones and TV. You don’t see kids running around with cell phones, constantly texting while you are trying to talk to them. Real conversations go on at camp, from deep stuff, to kids just wanting someone to talk to them and hang out with them. Friendships are formed.
Karios moments in our life are rare and precious things. They should be cherished. In the New Testament kairos means “the appointed time in the purpose of God”, the time when God acts. It differs from the more usual word for time which is kronos.
There are Karios moments at camp. Moments where everything seems to stop and you find yourself in that special moment. Maybe it’s a late night walk from your car on your day off where you are walking down the lake road and when you look up into the night sky, you see the sky filled with stars. Or maybe it’s that relationship that you have been able to build with a camper, talking with him, connecting with him and growing with him. Maybe it’s that friendship or bond that you grow with your co-counselor or a fellow counselor in your tribe.
Those moments truly make camp special. I am excited and ready for those moments this summer. It’s less than a week away. I would leave this post with the lyrics from the song “Something Beautiful” by Newsboys. For each of us, those moments that are precious to us are different and occur at different times in our lives. Sometimes we can’t explain the feelings that come from those moments. We just know that they are there and that we should cherish them when they come along.
I wanna start it over
I wanna start again
I want a new a new beginning
One without any end
I feel it inside
Calling out to me
It's a voice that whispers my name
It's a kiss without any shame
Something beautiful
Like a song that stirs in my head
Singing love will take us where
Something's beautiful
I've heard it in the silence
Seen it on a face
I've felt it in a long hour
Like a sweet embrace
I know this is true
It's calling out to me
It's the child on her wedding day
It's the daddy that gives her away
Something beautiful
When we laugh so hard we cry
It's the love between you and I
Something beautiful
