Working all day with children is equally as challenging as it is rewarding. I am constantly being pushed to be a better person, friend, co-worker, employee, and counselor. Now that I'm home from school and back to working long days at the YMCA, I am remembering two very important things about my life: that I LOVE working with little kids and that I have learned so much about life simply by being a camp counselor.
You can handle more than you think you can. On a regular day, I might wake up late from a night with no sleep, my car might not start, I may forget my lunch, and I'll possibly walk in to one of my kids lying on the floor having a tantrum. As I move through the day, I will be faced with challenge after challenge leaving me worn out. Just as camp pushes campers outside of their comfort zones, I found that being a counselor forced me to confront fears and learn how to handle new situations. Every single day that I left camp tired, overwhelmed, and worn, I still found myself ready to go back the next morning.
(After single handedly applying sunscreen to dozens of 5-year olds, I am convinced I can handle anything life throws at me.)
Patience is a virtue. Being a camp counselor you quickly learn that kids are slow and don't often listen the first three (or ten) times you say something. After having to take a second bathroom break when a camper didn't hear me for the first one, having to clean up paint when I asked them not to splatter it in the first place, or having to give up my jacket for someone who said they wouldn't need it outside, I have learned that patience is not natural and that it is truly a virtue. As a counselor you learn that the most important part of dealing with kids, and many of the things life throws at you, is knowing how to take a deep breath and put on your best fake smile.
You get what you give. Being part of a anything with a big picture involved forces you to look outside yourself, to recognize the needs of others and be a friend to them. It's all about what you put in. What you get out of an experience is directly impacted by how much you're willing to put into it, and camp is no different. If you want love, give love. If you want honesty, give honesty. If you want respect, give respect. When you give all you've got, life tends to be more rewarding anyways!
Attitude is Everything. After spending hundreds of days at camp, I know that there are many, many days and times that I am not on my A-game. I can honestly tell you that no one enjoys every single aspect of camp all the time. At camp, and in life, your attitude (positive or negative) has a huge effect on the people around you! I have learned to use that to my advantage; when an activity is poorly planned or it is over 100 degrees outside, if I pretended like I was loving life, my campers will start to feel the same way. You would be surprised by how changing your attitude can turn an unpleasant activity into a good time.
Respect is earned. Kids tend to listen and respect counselors more when they can clearly see that their counselors care about them. I've learned that if I sit down and talk to a kid who is known for not listening and learn about their life and show them that I just want to be their friend, they will show me more respect. Kids want to feel important. Kids want to be cared about. Inviting "trouble" kids to help lead a game or asking a fifth-grade boy how his weekend went can go a long way. Respect has to be earned and a title will not ever give that to you, especially not with kids.
It's the little things in life that matter. Whether its the surprise popsicles I bring to lunch on a Friday or an impromptu water game in the heat of the summer, kids are always living for the little pleasures in life. My heart is so full when I see how visibly excited campers are when they get picked to be a tagger in a game or when the song they requested gets played. Life is exciting and kids never fail to acknowledge that. So, when life starts to drag you down, always remember how much joy can come from the little things!
Jesus wants me to rely on Him fully. It is WAY harder to imitate Jesus with your actions than it seems. Jesus is loving. Jesus is patient. Jesus is compassionate. Jesus is perfect. I am not always loving, patient, or compassionate - and I am definitely not perfect. Y'all, it is hard to point people to Jesus when I fail every single day to show the smallest amount of kindness. But God doesn't ever ask me to do this alone. Proverbs 3:5 tell us to trust in the Lord with all of our heart and lean not on our own understanding. When I am weak, He isn't. When I fail, He doesn't. He is the reason that I am able to love those kids every single day that I show up to camp. Jesus' love changed my life; He alone gives me the strength and patience I need to make it through a day at camp. He gave me all the love, life, joy and kindness I have to share with my campers. The Lord perfectly ordains every day I have at camp, with every kid I meet, to be a chance of them to know Him. He wants campers to feel love, life, joy and kindness, and what a gift it has been for me, that I was chosen by him for this task.
No comments:
Post a Comment