A Sobering Moment at Camp

(This was actually written in July 2012 but I didn't publish until now. I thought this was worth publishing.) 



I have way too much to do right now, but I had to take a minute to share this. 

This past week I got to work as administrator for my Parent's summer camp VBC. It was so much fun, putting on puppet shows, working with an awesome team of young adults, and playing music every day. On the last day I got the cherry on the cake though...I got to do a facepainting station. Whenever I do this I find it so interesting what face each child will choose from the little example booklet. One little blond girl steered away from the typical princesses, flowers and hearts and pointed at the elaborate puppy face which included painting her whole face white and adding black puppy spots and a tongue hanging out. She then ran around the camp for the rest of the day barking at everyone. lol!

There was one quiet little boy however who melted my heart. He sat looking through the book with examples if Spiderman, Pirates and "tough" faces and opted for a beautiful colorful pattern. So, why would that be so touching to me? Because at the beginning of camp I heard this boy's story. 

He was living in Haiti when the earthquake struck. He and his aunt were in their house when it collapsed. His aunt was killed due to a pipe that pushed through her body and that same pipe caused a wound on this little boy's head which he still has a visible scar from. He was pinned upside down beside his aunt who called out for help for him until her dying breath. The nerves in his leg were badly damaged during the ten hours he was stuck there and he now walks with a bit of trouble. 

So I sat there almost in tears remembering all of this and looked into his peaceful eyes and thought about the cheerful choice he had made. I painted over some small scars on his face and I wished I could see in his mind to see how he sees life now after being through something so horrific. I think he lives beyond the competition to be tough and strong and is just happy to be ok and alive. 

Len and I both agreed that seeing his smiles increase more and more as the week went on was worth gold to both of us. God, thank you for his life.