"Camp" Henderson

This morning, as my husband danced around singing a goofy song to our baby and I rapped a tune to the same beat, I was reminded how much we live our lives like we are constantly at camp.

First off, our days are pretty regimen. We get up at 7am when we wake and feed baby girl and then we read the Bible in bed while she sits facing us at the end of the bed. Then, Bryan has a full-out "goo-goo-ga-ga" babble session with Charis before getting dressed to some song we've chosen to sing/rap. (It's not always as sickeningly upbeat as I am making it sound. It is usually a made-up song that will keep Charis laughing so that dad can get the most giggles in before he leaves for the day; and mom is not always just popping out of bed.) Next, it's breakfast, packing lunch, and getting out the door.

While that seems pretty normal, I somehow can't get the idea out of my head that we are camp counselors indefinitely and that our "camper" is our child. Like when Charis was cracking up as I ran the Dish - a recreational route with large hills - because she thought that my leaning in, bouncing the stroller, and huffing was a game. And why shouldn't she think that when we do that sort of thing to her as a game ALL THE TIME!?! That's when I realized how much like camp our lives feel right now. It's tiring (just like camp), fun/funny (just like camp), regimen, goofy, and a time for pursuing Jesus (JUST LIKE CAMP). Charis and I are almost done with her baby book (i.e.-craft time) and our friend's dog "Hoover" is Charis's little buddy... like a little petting zoo, if you will.

At any rate, there IS a point to this observation about our lives:

I am convicted that since we act like it is camp, we should be relying on God like it is camp, too. That is, we should treat every morning like one more day to love on our "camper," each other, and our neighbor with the understanding that we need God to do it. I distinctly remember waking up every morning at KAA (Kids Across America) and Sky Ranch - two summer camps at which I worked - and thinking, "God, please help me get through the day with grace, love, and boldness as I love on these kids. Be my sustainer and teach me to follow you, share you, and love you more faithfully. Amen." I remember being exhausted and drained and not feeling like I had anything to offer and that God HAD to be the one to get me through the day because I wasn't able to do it on my own strength. Well, I want that to be my prayer every morning in "Camp Life," too. It may not be 110 degrees like it was at summer camp, I may not have 20 campers like at camp, and I may have an amazing co-counselor to lighten the load but I still need God to sustain me every day. As much as my sweet hubby and I want to think that we've got it all down, that is when we learn that we're still learning and very much so.

So... I praise the Lord for his giving me a partner so well-suited for me that I could rap a silly tune about burbles (see previous blogs) and not feel the least bit less-cool; and I pray that we would continue to love on this sweet little one, on others, and on each other as best we know how and with the strength of the Lord as our daily bread - which is better than any camp food I ever had :)

P.S. - Dad sent us these family pictures from when we were in Florida over Christmas break. Enjoy!