We Use What We Have
It was the morning of July 12, 2024, and the Camp ACTS campers had spent the week preparing for their musical. Everything was as ready as it was going to be. After completing their final rehearsal, the actors nervously buzzed about as they were awaiting the arrival of their friends and family who would soon be in the audience. Costumes were on, choreography was practiced, and lines were memorized. There was just one problem: a camper, who was playing not one but three of the key roles, had been unexpectedly picked up early and was not able to fulfill his parts. The small cast and crew scrambled, knowing the show must go on, but with no idea how. Who could jump in, with no preparation, to perform alongside these kids who had practiced so hard? Would all of their effort go to waste?
Enter Will from stage right. Will was a cabin leader who had never seen the script. He knew how hard the campers had worked, and he refused to let them down. His first readthrough was on the chapel stage in front of the audience! Will, a tall, gregarious, up-for-anything young adult, took on the roles of Abraham, Noah, and Moses. Ruby, a much smaller, curly-haired ten-year-old girl in angel wings became Will’s onstage guide: grabbing the microphone, positioning him where he needed to be, and guiding him through the dance steps. It was a delight! The kids brought their own gifts and personality, but the levity that Will provided as a confused adult in a cohort of child angels, lifted everyone. Nervous performers were able to laugh at Will, families witnessed the delight of their campers, and Will’s ability to jump in and improvise allowed the story to shine, despite the change.
A phrase that I often use at camp is, “We use what we have.” We entrust that the gifts God has given us will be enough for the tasks to which we are called. We have seen this to be true time and time again, and we witnessed it right before our eyes on the chapel stage that morning.
Our prayer is that you too have all that you need for the tasks to which God has called you. Through the story of Jesus’s birth, we are reminded that the greatest gifts often come from the most unexpected places, and there is always enough. The birth of the Christ child teaches us that God’s love is big enough for the entire world! A humble stable and a rustic old chapel are precisely the right places for that love to take shape. Further, a helpless baby and a bespeckled tinsel-winged ten-year-old are precisely the right people through whom that love flows.
You can help ensure that the love of Christ continues to be shared through the ministry of Fortune Lake Camp. If you are interested in making financial gift so these extraordinary moments can continue – for Ruby, Will, and many others – please visit our Donation Page. We thank you in advance for your generosity. May God’s blessings be abundant for you!
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