The Life of a Camp Secretary

Let me tell you, it's pretty exciting. There are things I love about this job and things that annoy me, but mostly I'm glad to be working with people who also love the Lord and are here to serve Him. I had a chat with my mom Wednesday about some things that went down in her secular work place and it made me WAY grateful that I don't have to deal with stuff like that here. When I'm down, I know someone will listen and pray for me.

Because I'm not a counselor, I'm not in charge of any kids. That's great because I don't always have the energy to deal with kiddos. Often times in staff meetings (7:00 AM) people will say that they know they have to rely on the Lord for their energy and their patience. I get the patience thing, counting to 10 if you're mad and 100 if you're really mad and all that (thanks Thomas Jefferson) but what does that mean to rely on God for your energy? You just shoot up a prayer when you're tired? I don't know what that means in application. What I do know is God makes every little thing go in perfect harmony. His hand is over the little sparrows and the motion of the galaxy and your life. He must have infinite and unmatched energy to do that kind of work without being tired.

Also because I'm not a counselor, I'm somewhat behind the scenes. To the campers, anyway. I like that a lot. Support staff rocks. I like being the only one who knows how to do this job but in some ways it's prideful. It's something like this "I'm the only one who knows how to do this job on staff right now, so therefore I am the best at it and I know how to do it and you don't." Some of that is true, but it's not all mature or loving. There have been and will be other secretaries. There are still things I don't know how to do and sometimes my desire to be perfectly correct tells me that's not okay, but it is. I hope.

I do my best to get ahead of things. Friday is busy and Sunday is insanely busy. Sunday is registration/check in and I sit with the staff biography sheet and tell kids who their counselor is. I loved that part when I was a kid. On the way to camp I would wonder which cabin I was in, and if I would know my counselor or not. I direct them to their cabin and down the line to give the nurse their medical form. It's pretty sweet. Before all that, I have to print the schedule and housing list for everyone, print and staple the devotional books for all the campers, ready all the money bags for counselors (we collect the kid's money and then dish out the amount they want at breakfast so there's not $$ sitting around in the cabins) and a bunch of other prep stuff.

Every morning at breakfast (8:30) I bring the counselors their money bags that I've made change in the night before so kids who brought a $20 can get out $3 for candy and offering. All day I answer phones, take messages, deal with any registration forms, receipting, and do other office-y things. Usually a counselor or two will need me to print something or cut something or do something for them which I like because I like our counselors. Sometime in the week I order the camp photo, put in the computer who is going to pick up the kid from camp, put together the end of the week packet with tons of important stuff in it, and other things like that.

Some days are easier than other, but I am so glad I'm here this summer. It sort of felt like a no brainer to apply at Arrowhead and I was only a little nervous that I might not get the job. That's totally a God thing because I tend to get insanely nervous and freak about stuff like that. 100% is how much I believe that God put this staff together on this summer to serve His Kingdom. He works in mysterious ways but His plan is always perfect. For example, earlier this week I was so upset and needed to vent. I had to leave the office but wasn't sure who to talk to. As I was walking out the door, another staffer caught my eye and went outside with me. I cried and she prayed and it was just what I needed. See, that's not so mysterious- it's just the perfection of God knowing exactly what I need and providing for me. Isn't it great that the God of everything, the whole Earth and all of the Universe and things humans can never know cares about me, a big fat sinner, enough to arrange that collision? He is mighty.

Song lyrics are big with me. What can I say, I'm a vocalist. I have always loved music and it makes the words stick with me a lot longer than just reciting them. The song that's in my head right now goes like this:
"You are holy, great and mighty / The moon and the stars declare who you are. / I'm so unworthy / but still you love me." That's a pretty awesome message. Happy Saturday.