Have I told you lately?
One of the best things we get to do at kamp is telling kids how proud we are of them.
There is nothing better than seeing a kid light up with confidence when he hears his or her name connected with something good, positive, or right. It’s almost second nature to us at KWest and certainly all the stops around the Kanakuk world.
You see it in the dining hall with our kitchen staff, in the nurse’s station with our medical team, around the fields with our maintenance crew, and certainly with every person who walks through the front gate and puts on a staff tee shirt. In the words of Lyle Sankey, “It’s who we are. It’s what we do.”
Every night before the light switch is flipped and Mike, AJ, and I close the book on another day, I have the chance to tell my boys that I am proud of them and that I love them. There is nothing better. I am passionate about telling my kids that I love them, and I light up when they reciprocate. It is the sweetest moment of my day.
Mike’s basketball season came to end this past week…2 games short of a dream year and a state championship. As he laid down that night after his final game, his body showed the battle scars of a long season of court pounding, elbows in the ribs, twisted ankles, and countless body blows. I was proud of him, and I told him.
In just a few short weeks, we will have the chance to engage the kampers of K-West and start down that road to the best moments of our year. Oh sure, we think about how great it will be to have a break from school , or hit the mountains or beach for that dream week of relaxing and fun adventure/rest. But deep down inside each of our hearts, we know it will not compare to what we experience when we build into Kamper’s life, or help them to the cross. That’s what it’s really all about.
When I think about last summer, people like Brent Clarkson, Ashley Gross, and Richard Gretsky come to mind. All of them are experts at telling others about how proud they are of them and encouraging them in Christ. Hundreds, if not thousands, have lifted off to the next level thanks to what they have shared. I am proud of them. I don’t even want to think about May 21st without them.
Summer is just around the corner. We get to do what we do best: love kids to the cross. I can’t wait. Remember also, as you hit the pillow tonight, you have a heavenly Father who is softly saying, “I am proud of you…I love you more than you know.” I am anxious to pass that message onto every single kamper who walks through our gates this summer. I hope you are too.
