It was a night for stars. Blinking, colorful, artificial ones and purposeful, steady, God-gifted ones.
We found ourselves at the baseball game, but skipped out early to go to the Light up the Sky for Jesus fireworks show. As we slid through town and wound around a road clouded by trees in the rapidly failing light, we were sure that we were going to miss the fireworks. But as the trees thinned and the energy park came into view, we were greeted by lines of parked cars. The show had not yet begun. We were just in time.
We parked the van and hopped out, planting our feet in the grass. As the sparks – white, blue, red, and green lit up the night sky, we cracked jokes and fellow volunteer Nick turned himself into a wizard, waving his hands to bring forth the fireworks more quickly. Our laughter rang through the ever growing darkness as “Proud to be an American” played on repeat over the loudspeakers and some kid spun his car around in the grass next to us. As the sparks faded and were replaced with the glow of red taillights, we made our way back to camp, where we climbed into canoes and paddled in the lake beneath the stars. The Big Dipper hung over our heads and our fellow boaters were silhouettes against the backdrop of the yard lights on the other side of the lake. One boat spun in circles. Another’s occupants yelled out in creepy voices to their fellow boaters. And yet another sang some gospel tunes. “I’ll Fly Away” mixed with war whoops mixed with laughter.
This past week at camp was teen boys week. It had been a good, but tough week. The good was found in that hike up the Treeline trail where the boys loved every minute of it and were disappointed when we were taking the short cut. The good was found in the “Richard Simmons Workout Video” workshop where two boys rocked out to Richard Simmons on Broadway, having a ton of fun and not caring what anyone else might think about it. The good was found in the boys who really, really, really, wanted to collect as many beads as possible (beads are given to the campers to mark their various accomplishments this year). The good was found in the talent show where the boys wrote and performed their own songs and skits, played the guitar like nobody’s business, and showed off their art work. The tough was found in the attitudes, the talks about families and drugs and jail and bullies. In a car driving out of camp carrying away a camper, leaving due to homesickness, before the end of the week was out. A car that had to go, but that we wished could have stayed.
This week I had to explain to a 15-year-old boy who has had way more than his fair share of hard knocks why he is important and why life is worth living. And as I rowed in that canoe with the stars shining above me and the laughter in my ears, I knew that moments like these were part of the answer to his question. It is the laughter, the beauty in the night sky, the love of a group of people who agree to serve from 8 in the morning until midnight all summer for free. It is the green pastures dotted with cattle, the smell of wood smoke, the taste of chocolate, a white house on a hill and all the people inside it. It is a smile and a “Thanks, Elizabeth. I feel a lot better now.”
These are the things that make life worth living. And I found them in a boat at a summer camp, stars blinking high above me, memories echoing in my mind. Hopefully every single young man who came to camp this week found them, too. Because they’re always there. You just have to keep your eyes open and your heart ready.
Elizabeth is a long-term volunteer serving in the Home Repair program and living in the Jackson County community. In the past Elizabeth has also served with CAP as a volunteer in the S.P.A.R.K. after school program and as a camp counselor at Camp Andrew Jackson. Opinions expressed in volunteer blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAP or the Volunteer Program.
