A Day (or a week) In the Life of a Camp David Counselor

First official week of Camp David...and oh what a week it was! It was a bit of a change, starting out as a counselor. Counseling is much, much more stressful than many things I have done before. It's extremely challenging but so, so rewarding. Still, it's a little better to start the year off with something a little less strenuous.

It was amazing, coming back to Camp for the second year. Not only did I fit right back in to the Staff family, but I had so many relationships already formed with returning campers. It was an awesome feeling.
I was super surprised at myself this week, to be honest. I had a couple of difficult campers, several hard counseling moments but for some reason, I remained completely calm throughout all of the problems. In fact, I remained even more than calm. I was happy. All week long, no matter what was happening, no matter how many problems I had, I was happy.
It was so weird, because I haven't felt that....that peaceful...in such a long time. If any of you read my last post, about wanting to be able to break down every wall I had left and love fully then you will know what I am talking about.
I think I did it. I think I broke down my walls. Everyone always says that someday a special person will come along and tear down your barriers, well guess what world....it doesn't take a "special person"....it just takes you. It takes your decision, your will-power, your longing to feel that sort of joy again.
I found the will-power in others. These girls I am working for come from some harsh backgrounds. They each have one or both parents in prison, they are being raised by single parents, family members or foster homes, many of them have been abused physically and emotionally...they need me as a mentor and friend, but they need Christ more and what more am I than Christ's hands and feet?
So I pulled my strength from that source. They needed every ounce of love that I could muster, and I gave it all. Every time I thought I couldn't love any more, my heart was like the Widow's Oil....I had so much more than I could ever use!
My soul kept filling and overflowing, filling again, like it never ends. And I don't want it to end. No matter how late the girls stayed up giggling, no matter how many times their pain and anger came out in attitude and lashing out towards me, no matter how many times I had get out of bed to kill a spider so that the earsplitting screaming would stop, I felt happy and I have missed that feeling.

Now it's time to go to sleep. I was given the....privilege....of taking the girls back to St. Louis on the bus. 21 girls....all their bags....4 pee stops....it took from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sleep is a necessity. I can't wait to start all over again on Monday!

~*Peace of Christ to you*~