A Bittersweet Day!

It’s the last day of SpringHill’s 2010 summer camp program (although not the summer season). It began in May with the arrival of our summer resident staff (professionals who work for SpringHill for the summer) and it will end today with the closing ceremonies of two of our Day Camp teams and our Michigan overnight camp. In between we’ve had the privilege of serving over 14,000 campers with a team of 750 staff.    

 

 I have to admit this summer has flown by, it has been as busy as any of I’ve been a part of at SpringHill.  Yet, for many reasons, it has been one of the best.  That is why I’m a bit sad as I write this post. I’m wishing it wasn’t over yet.    

I’ve always said that when we are doing our summer camp ministry we are doing the work God created us to do. We are in our “sweet spot”.  It’s been hard at times, busy for sure, draining, stressful but even more it has been full of joy and wonder as we served with people we love and we’ve seen Christ work in and through our efforts to transform young lives for His Kingdom.    

 

 Now for a another 9 months we will have no more Sunday morning staff worship and staff meetings. No more Opening Days greeting excited campers and nervous moms. No more campfires or polar bear blobbing.  No more camp songs in the rain or small groups of sharing and praying. No more closing rallies where we hear the stories of how Christ has impacted the lives of campers.  And no more summer staff and the energy they bring to their work.  We have to wait for another 9 months to do it all again.   

Yet we can step back and thank God for what He has done and the lives He has allowed us to be a part of.  And in a few weeks we will begin planning, praying and working on another great summer, the summer of 2011.   

Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing stories from some of our staff and campers’ experiences so you will be able to have a glimpse into the life change that happened this summer (and for me stretch the summer out a bit longer).