The past two weeks have definitely been outside my normal routine. We just got back from our annual vacation at Hilton Head, and the week before that I volunteered to be a speaker/counselor at a youth camp. Although it is hard to get back to normal after either event, the camp definitely had a more profound impact.
Yes, vacations are nice, but when you are able to give yourself away and see positive results, it can change your life. I met so many wonderful kids at the youth camp. Don't let the media tell you that kids don't want anything to do with adults. The hunger for adult approval and masculine attention were evident. The pull I felt from kids to interact with them surprised me. How could they want to include a bald, overweight, 42 year old father of three in their circle of relationships? Yet they long for positive adult friendships.
I could tell so many stories, but I'll share just one. A young lady I'll call Arwen was a counselor at the camp. After I spoke Sunday morning, I was standing in the lunch line as Arwen was serving and began a friendly conversation. Arwen is 19, less than half my age, but has a good head on her shoulders. She is also strikingly beautiful and smart. But as I got to know her, I felt a prompting and asked about her dad. I could see the change in her countenance.
She lives in the deep south, and her dad took a job in the upper midwest. She misses him. When I asked about this further, I could see the pain as she wondered how her dad could leave her and her mother for months because he wanted to get out of debt. It struck me like a hammer blow.
How could any father choose to leave a daughter like this? Outside of military service, I can't really think of one. I related to the dilemma because I've debated some serious moves to improve our financial situation. My kids aren't even driving yet, and if Arwen, a high-school graduate, has a hard time understanding her dad's decision, how can I choose to leave my kids? I prayed with Arwen and we talked further about dealing with anger, disappointment, your parent's struggling marriage and loving them even when they make decisions youdon't understand. I wish it were a happy-ever-after ending, but I'm not sure what the future holds for Arwen and her family.
Life isn't easy, and unfortunately the decisions we make as parents and adults are extremely demanding. But when it comes to pouring myself into my kids or into my career, my kids are going to get the lion's share of me. I went to youth camp to pour into kids, but somehow God gave me more than I gave away. Funny how he does that.
