It’s been over thirty years since I last assumed the pseudonym of “Frostbite” for 3 months within the piney woods of East Texas. From 1991 through 1993, I summered at Pine Cove Ranch, a Christian camp for Sixth-through-Twelfth graders near Tyler. Every week, a recent batch of campers would arrive, and together with my colleagues Bushwacker, Backfire, Opee, Edelweiss, Fezzik and the remainder, we’d herd them in for six days of water sports, horses, biking, Bible study, sermons, and silliness.
The experiences of those three collegiate summers left me with a plethora of lessons that stand the test of time. I used to be capable of distill the wealth of spiritually-beneficial wisdom into the next seven categories:
1. God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called (2 Timothy 3:17).
This phrase was standard fare from the mouth of our camp director. The truth within the statement extends back to Moses, Abraham, Joseph, David… nearly everyone utilized by God for giant things who, on physical examination, didn’t have the degrees, stature, or qualification for the roles that needed to be done. You’ve never spoken in public, acted in a skit, or led a Bible study? You could also be right where the Lord wants you, so prepare for Him to bestow His qualification upon you.
It also works in reverse – you’re thinking that you’re qualified for one thing, God has a unique purpose. As a youth ministry major who loved water sports, I assumed surely His place for me was with the Twelfth-grade guys and the waterfront. So why was I assigned to Sixth graders, tennis, and archery? Somebody tousled! Turns out it was me for getting insulted. I used to be in exactly the place where I could possibly be of most use to the dominion, and sixth graders were significantly better at buying into my off-the-wall behavior than the too-cool seniors.
2. If you wish to learn something, teach it (Exodus 18:20).
Surely there had been one other mistake. I’d never handled a gun of any kind in my life. Were they really assigning me to show skeet shooting to junior high boys? I hoped the camp had good insurance. Turns out they’d good assurance – the blessed kind. They knew I’d already proven myself on the archery range, and I became an authority in shotgun safety and various other activities largely through the religion and trust placed in me. The Lord gives you what you would like via your willing heart.
3. The kid with the hardest exterior on Sunday is the one who’ll be hugging you the toughest come Saturday (Matthew 19:14; Romans 12:9-10).
“Get along with your kids.” That’s what you’d hear from a director if it was free time and also you were caught chatting along with your peers. “Love on those kids; don’t indoctrinate them.” That was the reply if a counselor had a problem with a controversial subject. “Put your arms around these kids, put their arms across the Word.” That was the goal. All of the above boiled right down to time. Youth of any age watch the way you spend your time. They learn quickly how essential they’re to you. They all have their issues but all of them know after they’re being loved they usually all reply to it… in time. So give them that. (This lesson has also had huge implications upon my role as a dad).
4. Life and Christianity are so far more than Do’s and Don’ts (Galatians 5:13).
I had come out of a unbelievable youth group a couple of years earlier, but even I used to be uninterested in the drained, standard youth sermon that had also plagued the young people I counseled at camp: “Don’t drink, don’t do drugs, don’t have sex.” Undoubtedly good advice, but why not? There were already loads of them who weren’t practicing these “greater sins.” What, as an alternative, could we show them about, say, riot, disobedience, covetousness, envy, and poor self-image? It looked as if it would me that once I did encounter those that were involved with alcohol, drugs, or sex, they were using the temporary gratification of those activities to fill holes attributable to, well, riot, disobedience, covetousness, envy, and poor self-image.
Living out your faith without inhibitions in front of young people is about as daring, yet real, as you’ll be able to be. Modeling the reality of the Word eliminates the necessity for do’s and don’ts, removes the necessity to ask, “Why live this fashion?” It’s obvious when your joy requires no illegal substances, and when your love is unattached from lust.
5. It’s good to be alive (Romans 8:6; John 10:10)
I made a mere $1,000 for a complete 11 weeks of labor, got only 24 hours off each week, lived around the clock in sweltering heat (well, okay, the cabins did have AC) with a dozen boys, had tons of of responsibilities, lost track of flicks and the baseball standings, went three months with no soda… and I never felt higher, was never more fulfilled. Life isn’t about constructing to a spot where we will do what we wish on a regular basis – that goal ends in becoming our own little gods. Life happens outdoors, with other people, by God’s strength, in God’s presence, for God’s purposes. It’s a present, even when difficult.
6. We ARE the body (1 Corinthians 7:17; 1 Corinthians 12:12).
It wasn’t obscure the frustrations that our non-counseling staff often had about whether or not they were getting used by God. After all, you interview to work at a youth camp because you’ve gotten a heart for youth, only to seek out out you’re a cook, a nurse, a piece crew director. These are the thankless jobs, out of the limelight. Away from the children and the fun. But none of the nice things that happened at Pine Cove would have been possible without every a part of the body working together for the greater mission.
The body also has its imperfections, and there was no higher illustration than Jiggs Gaffney, a mentally-handicapped man from Tyler who spent the entire summer with us, not as a camper, not as paid staff, but just as himself. Jiggs loved Pine Cove, loved playing basketball and Commando, loved everyone. The place wouldn’t have been the identical without him. He helped us all to not fear disability. It truly takes every kind.
7. There’s biblical application in every single place (Romans 1:20).
Mealtime brought opportunities for selflessness and politeness. The high ropes course illustrated trust and security. Activity classes bred the boldness of success for God’s glory. The whole system was based on service, sharing, and community. But my favorite application was this one, which I penned for my girlfriend (now my wife) as she was moving away from me for graduate school:
I used to show archery at camp in Texas. It’s the sort of sport where it’s not hard to seek out a couple of life metaphors: hitting the goal, nailing the bull’s-eye, missing the mark… But within the arrow itself, I discovered a wealth of lessons. It’s such an easy, effective, and stylish weapon with its sleek shaft and colourful feathers, but it may possibly’t function without help. It needs the bow as a way to reach its potential, to drive it forward, or it’s worthless.
The arrow also has been prevalent in my doodles for so long as I can remember, probably on account of its symbolic significance in direction and guidance. But take a detailed have a look at the feathers – do you notice how one, the one facing outward, is a unique color? That’s called the cock feather. It’s unique in that it must face away from the bow, or outward, as a way to fly straight when shot.
As Christians, too often we cover up what’s different about ourselves, and we wind up missing the mark, or sinning. When our unique side faces outward for the world to see alternatively, we fly straight and true, exploding towards the goal in a wonderful burst of color.
What is exclusive and different about you? Your faith, poise, depth, and beauty to call a couple of. Keep those true colours facing boldly outward; trust the Lord’s aim as He pulls back the string; fly straight. Choose the appropriate targets, and you’ll be able to’t miss.
Shawn McEvoy is the Executive Director of Content at Salem Web Network… thanks in no small part to the three summers he spent as a part of an incredible staff at Pine Cove.
Original publication date: June 1, 2011
Main article image: ©Getty/Maskot
Arrows image: ©Getty/wragg
