- Photo by Sheila Beeson
On the heels of the Women's Retreat I'm left pondering my own "mountain top experiences with Jesus." I've had some; so have you. My personal "mountain top" list includes a number of "Camp Adventure" entries with my family.
For more than three decades I've spent at least one week each summer at Camp Adventure. I've served as a counselor, cluster leader, worship leader, director and photographer. I've mopped floors, performed injury triage and towed swamped canoes. I've prayed, preached and counseled counselors. I've loved it all.
When our children were still at home we took them camp. They shared the adventures, the games and the thrills. They grew up in the context of worship, praise and passion for Christ. Each summer we took them with us to a "mountain top."
Getting them up there required effort, money and time. If you wonder what I mean by this, simply pick up a baby and bear full responsibility for moving it "up and the the right" for about 18 years.
Here's a summary of the price we paid to get our kids up to some mountain tops with us....
We gave them attention (so they felt our love and concern). Children need to be watched all the time, not just when they're shouting, "Watch me! Watch me!" Come to think of it, silence should concern the parents of young children. Silence demands inspection.
We gave them limits (so they didn't participate in the Camp as "campers" until they were old enough). We believe children benefit from age-appropriate boundaries. It's a good thing for children to wait their turn.
We told our kids, "You can't drive yet."
"You can't date yet."
"You can't pierce your ears yet."
"You can't have a cell phone yet."
"You can't have a BB gun yet."
"You can't go to the school dance yet."
"You can't wear make-up yet."
"You can't let go of my hand while crossing the street yet."
"You can't participate in camp as a camper until you are old enough to actually be registered as a camper."
We gave them space (kids are like fluids - they occupy the shape of their containers). Children fill your space. Everything from diaper bags, to cribs, to car seats, to sleeping bags, to clothes packed in suitcases...children fill all your available nooks and crannies.
We gave them opportunity to be inspired by real people, with real resolve to follow Jesus, (because "seeing" the faith lived out in the lives of fantastic, spirit-filled, fired-up young adults burns a vision for the Christian-life into their psyche). Kids will have heroes. Parents have opportunity, and responsibility, to put their children where they can see people worth emulating - up close and personal. We exposed our kids to high-voltage radioactive Christ-followers and we often heard them say, "I want to like him! I want to be like her!" Getting kids around great people is a really, really good idea.
I miss my kids, but I have no regrets. Sheila and I did everything we knew to do so they could have mountain top experiences with Jesus. It was a lot of work, but Amber, Aaron and Angela were worth the effort.
Your kids are worth the effort too.
No doubt about it.
Proverbs 22:4-6 - Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life. In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.