Vacation Time

I have just arrived back from the first vacation I've taken in over a year. To say that it was much needed is a huge understatement. Where did you go, you may be thinking to yourself. Hawaii, Florida, Cancun? I went as a youth chaperone to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Not exactly a good time by most people's standards, and at first I wasn't exactly gun-ho about it myself. Yet, as the trip approached, the kid's excitement began to rub off on me, and by the night before we were to leave, I was just excited as they were.

I'll admit it, the conditions of the camp were less than ideal. The cabins wreaked of mold and mildew, the walls sweated because of the humidity, and the beds, floors, and bathrooms gave us all the heebie jeebies. But, as cliched as this will sound, it was worth it all to be able to spend time with those kids. As you may have gathered from other postings, I'm activively involved with my church's middle school youth ministry. We meet each Sunday evening, starting out with a small group time, followed by a worship service, and sermonette. Although each service is special and a great time to connect with the kids in my small group, as well as the others, a few hours on a Sunday night, is a only very small amount of time. These kinds of trips are a great way to connect with each child on a greater, more personal level. I know that this week I formed bonds that will last a long time.

Yes, there were a few girls I had some problems with, but the thing that I had to tell myself on a continual basis is that these kids just need to be loved. Some of these kids come from broken, or dysfunctional homes. Some of these kids are bullied at school. Some of them are even bullied at home, by their parents, the very people who are supposed to be their greatest protectors. For 4 days, I was mom to these girls, and bottom line, I love each one of them, smart mouths, attitudes, weird quirks, and all.

We spent a total of 12 hours on the bus together, we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. We rode rides at Dollywood and shopped together. There were fights and the drama that goes hand in hand with being in middle school. We tubed down a river and braved the rapids together. We prayed and cried together during worship, and we laughed almost constantly. I learned  more about those girls in 4 days than I have in a year. I went on this trip to be a blessing, yet, I was the one who was blessed. 

It wasn't Hawaii or Florida. We didn't stay in a four star hotel or have the best tasting food in the world. But...I HAD A BLAST!