Have you stopped lately and counted the blessings of having “family”? In our rushed world filled with modern technology, it can escape us how precious and important family is.
I will never forget a young camper from one year when I was running summer camps. He was the most homesick young man I ever encountered. Mitch cried so much the first two nights that I had to go to the cabin and take him on a walk to settle him down before he could sleep. During the day, he kept running away from his group and we would have to send staff to find him. Usually, he was lying in a fetal position just crying.
On the third night of him not being able to sleep, I took him to the office and decided I had better call his home. Unfortunately, no one answered and the only other contact number I had was for a grandmother who lived about four hours away. When I told the grandmother how homesick Mitch was, she made it clear she wasn’t going to come and get him. When Mitch tried to talk with her, she just hung up.
The following day was worse than ever. It became dangerous the way Mitch kept running off so I tried the grandmother again, with the same result.
Just one more day
At that point I knew we had Mitch for the duration of the week. I wish I could tell you my heart was always charitable toward him, but the truth was, he was wearing out his counselor, myself and the rest of the staff. Finally, Sabbath came and I can remember thinking, “Just one more day of Mitch!”
After church was over, Mitch’s counselor came to let me know he had run away again. I said I would go after him this time. Once again, I found Mitch in a fetal position, crying. I told him to hang in there, he only had one more day and then he could go home.
As we were walking toward the cafeteria for lunch, Mitch reached up to hold my hand. To tell the truth, I didn’t really want to hold his, but we grasped hands as we walked together. Just before we entered the dining hall, he tugged my arm, looked up at me and with tears in his eyes asked, “Would you be my daddy?”
I can’t tell you the range of emotions that suddenly filled my heart. As I began to ask questions, I learned his mother had dropped him off at camp so she could marry a man who didn’t like Mitch or want him around. Mitch was feeling abandoned, alone, unwanted. At that moment, I saw first hand how painful it is to feel you have no family. I wanted to be able to fix all that was broken for Mitch, but was powerless to do so.
Take nothing for granted
I am grateful that no matter what this world throws at us, it is good to know I am part of the family of God! Have you thanked the Lord lately for being adopted into His family? Together, we are quite a bunch. Here in Mid-America we come from every tongue and people from across the globe and are united by His grace He has bestowed on us. This is a family who together makes up the Body of Christ…all of us having our special role to play, all of us of equal importance.
Let’s never take this family for granted. Let’s celebrate our diversity, embracing one another and doing what we can to encourage each other. I can’t imagine life without the family of God. Let’s do our part to make it stronger and more loving as we await the return of our Savior.
