Forget

Sometime, I admit it. I forget. I forget that what I do around kids makes a big impact. I forget that when I have a bad day and snap at one of them or I'm tired (so incredibly tired) after 6 weeks of camp and I don't invest in them as I should they notice. I forget that they remember people and faces and little things you do like play with them or just sit and talk to them. I forget that they have a counselor for a week and never forget their name or their face. I forget that they sit at the pool and talk to a lifeguard about something important in their life and remember that conversation the rest of their lives.
Today I was reminded. I had craft with 14 and 15 year old boys. Not a common thing. Most times they are scheduled for other activities, but today crafts was thrown at them. They had great attitudes. They were probably the most creative group I've had all week. The coolest part was that we got to sit and talk for 45 minutes with no interruptions and no one judging them for doing so. Most of them have been coming to this camp for years. One of them almost 8 years. 8 YEARS! They remembered counselors names, games they had played and buildings they had stayed in. They came back over and over because they loved it here. Something was different here.
Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with the incredible privilege that I have working here. I'm overwhelmed that God choses to use me in a place that reaches over a 1,000 kids every summer. He uses me to show kids His love and his sacrifce for them. May I never take it for granted. May I never again forget that each child is precious to Him. And may I never forget that when I am nothing and completely out of His way, He can be everything though me.