...I'm Gonna Have a Ball

I love camp.

I have ever since I first went the summer before entering 3rd grade.

From that year until the summer after graduating from high school, I only missed one year.  Combine that with the six years between 2003 and 2010 that I also worked at camp, and you'll get a total of 16 weeks I have spent at Camp Tishomingo since 1999.  Many of my best friends from my high school years are those that I would see at camp year after year.

The last time I went to camp was three years ago, the summer after my freshman year of college.

Approaching graduation last May, I had no idea what this summer was going to look like.  I knew I was not going to be staying in Colorado long term, and I knew I needed to find a job and a car.  Camp, honestly, was no where on my radar.

The last time my parents were in Arizona, my mom picked up a staff application for me on a whim.  They did not know how this summer was going to work out either, and as time went on, she guessed that it was not going to be a possibility either.  At one point, she thought she might have even thrown it away.

I knew she had it, but did not think much of it.  After all, Teen Camp is set for July 15 to 20, and Junior Camp for July 22 to 27.  I did not even know if I would be in Arizona by that time yet.

Recently my moving date has been set for July 11.  That is tentative, dependent on whether or not the house in Colorado sells before then; however, at the latest, I will be arriving in Arizona on July 12.

Mom found the staff application.

She gave it to me as a "do with it as you will."  I placed it into my desk drawer without much thought.  After all, I was going to Arizona as soon as possible in order to look for a job.  Plus, I was not going to leave for camp only three days after moving and leave my dad to find me a car alone.  It simply wasn't practical.

Then something happened:  I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

I found myself trying to find ways that I could go.  I caught myself pondering what I would teach about if I did have tent devotions to give.  I kept thinking of memories from all those other summers at camp.  And for every reason I could think of why I shouldn't go, I would come up with a reason why I should.  Teen Camp still wasn't an option, but Junior Camp could be.

I did not want to go to camp only to have an employer call me for an interview while I was there.  However, at the same time, I would hate to not go and not get a call and just sit twiddling my thumbs all week either.

I mentioned all this to a friend on Facebook chat last Thursday, knowing I had to make up my mind by Sunday if I wanted to get my application out on time.  Her response, in-part, was as follows:

"Kristi go

If you wait around for a call and don't get one you will regret it. 

If someone calls and you are there they will not mind waiting for you if they are the right employer

Do you think God will hold back a job He has for you if you are serving Him?"

I messaged the pastor who is receiving the applications this year and asked if they still needed any help.  No sense worrying about it if they did not need me.

His reply:  "we always need female counselors..."

My Camp Tishomingo staff application went out in the mail today.

It is still going to make for a crazy couple weeks.  I will only be in Arizona for a little over a week before Junior Camp starts.  I will barely have time to unpack part of my room before packing for camp.  But if an employer is serious about wanting to an interview with me, he will be willing to wait for a week.

As far as I can tell, God wants me at camp.