Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. We all have those special moments in our life that make us stop and truly appreciate what is surrounding us. Because we have all been blessed, we most likely have experienced one of these "ah-ha" moments on the 250 acres of Caroline Furnace that we all call home. I'd like to share two of mine:
The first comes from when little me stepped foot on camp property as a timid 7-year-old. Not entirely sure how I was going to manage a week without my parents or why on earth I was going there in the first place, I felt those jittery nerves one would expect. I was immediately at ease when my dad decided to stop by the spring right before dropping me off. This was the first instance that I experienced the magic that surrounds Caroline Furnace. How wonderful was it that the water would miraculously gather right on the border of this new, unfamiliar place? I have always loved the water, so the way it was appearing from the ground made the whole place seem extraordinary. After a week of fun and slag hunting, I went back with my dad to make sure the water was still there and had not disappeared downstream. Those little recurring bubbles at the surface of the water showed me this place was special and that I had found a deeper connection here. The second moment is from when I was a bit older, during staff training of my first summer on staff. I had just finished the first year of college, and I applied to work at camp on a whim the Friday before staff training began. I had committed to come, but I had no clue whether I was meant to work at camp. How did I know that camp would feel as magical as it did when I was a camper? I am not entirely sure how, but going back to camp as a counselor felt even more enchanting. While we were preparing the new buddy skit it dawned on me - the people camp has touched are why it is so special here. I kept that thought at the front of my mind through the entire summer. Finally, when someone asked me later in the summer what the transition was like from camper to counselor, I had this perfect analogy in mind: This place is magical like Disney World. The camp property is where the magic happens, but the people are the ones that make it all possible. It is the memories formed jumping into the lake that stick with me, not just the lake itself. It is easy to note the beautiful, woodland views throughout camp, but it is the singing and laughing of the counselors and campers that sway the leaves in the trees. Camp has changed me for the better. Not only did it guide me spiritually, but also introduced me to a whole network of people that live life to the fullest, with our beliefs strenghtened ever more in God. There is so much love shared amongst all who go here. Although our camp may be small, it impacts all who have been there in monumental ways.