By Chad Hershberger
I’m sitting here in the Evergreen Center, writing this blog post during electives, while a group of campers sing Christmas carols. It is making me feel very festive! My favorite holiday is Christmas. I like the preparations leading up to the birth of Christ in December. I enjoy Christmas music and listen from Thanksgiving until at least January 6. My kids holiday concerts at school have become one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season. I also enjoy hearing the lessons in church of the coming of the messiah, both as a baby in Bethlehem and in the future, as well as looking for Him in our lives today.
In the last few years, though, I’ve gotten more stressed out in December. I think part of that is because I’m pretty sure I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. The darker days affect my mood. I want the holiday to be just perfect and I want to do ALL the things to make it special for my family and friends.
My wife is good at reminding me that whatever we do or don’t get accomplished, Jesus still comes! As much as I resist the commercial trappings of the season, it envelopes me. So, I try to take time to keep my focus on the reason for the season.
This week, campers and staff celebrated Christmas in July. While the weather may not feel “Christmasy,” I always enjoy when we take time out in our camping season to celebrate Christ’s nativity. The tree the campers decorated wasn’t perfect but the enthusiasm they decorated it with enlightened my day. Singing carols at the top of our lungs, even Rudolph with guitar accompaniment, was a highlight of my week. Running around camp during the All-Camp Activity, finding Christmas items in a scavenger hunt manner reminded me of the travels of Joseph and Mary and the wisemen. Enjoying fellowship and food with the staff during an office Christmas party reminded me of the joy of being surrounded by loved ones. Singing with small tea lights by the fireplace in Evergreen announcing God’s arrival as a human into the world renewed my weary spirit.
Emmanuel- God with us. I also had time this week to reflect on good’s grace. It’s just so hard to comprehend. And yet, our Lord came down to dwell with us and be with us and feel like us. God so loved us that Jesus came down as a little baby to experience being human. And died for us to free us, so that we can be our authentic selves to serve God bravely in the world.
A little bit of that grace was seen as our camp community welcomed an unexpected visitor. Goose, the Christmas cat, was around. We have no idea where he came from but hope he is okay. He enjoyed following the campers around and sat outside the Evergreen Center. The campers showed God’s love by taking care of this fury friend.
Our Camel News crew on Wednesday talked to some of the staff to find out their favorite things. You know, like that song “A Few of My Favorite Things” that sometimes gets sung at Christmas, even though it is from The Sound of Music! Here is what Aaron and Ezra found out:
- Favorite meal: Vegetable lasagna (Toni), Breakfast wraps (Joey), Stromboli (Burton), Sloppy Joes (David), Taco Boats (Ali and Alyx), Baked French Toast (Jim and Chad)
- Favorite camp store item: Mud Mugs (Toni), Nalgene bottles (Joey and Ali), Cookbooks (Burton), Flip Flops (David), Sweatshirts (Alyx), New T-shirt (Jim), New mugs (Chad)
- Favorite campsites: Bottom of Field (Toni), Turkey Feeder (Joey and Alyx), Stargazer (Burton), Buffalo Gap (David and Jim), Twin Creeks (Alyx), Blacksnake (Chad)
- Staff BFF: Charlene (Toni, Joey, and David), Joey (Burton), CarolAnn (Ali), and “obviously” Chad and Jim
Twice this week I’ve heard our campers sing “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” It has reminded me that we need to go out and spread the good news of Jesus everywhere. I hope our campers will do this. I hope you will, too.