"Sweet Caleb", I scrawled upon the cover of my homemade notecard in sweeping cursive.  With bright colored pencils I decorated the page, then filled the inside with sentimental pennings.  "I love you, I like you, I am so very proud of you.  Your sweet heart, handsome face, and wonderful manners make for a marvelous young man... But above all these incredible traits, I prize and admire your heart for the Lord.  I know you are young, and still learning about God's sincere love for you, Caleb, but I can tell you are seeking Him with your whole heart and your mind.  I am most excited to see you find God real and faithful, my son.  He is wonderful indeed.  And you, made in His image, are quite wonderful too!  Love, Mom."

Tomorrow Caleb's slated to leave for fourth grade winter camp with our church.  He's been fighting a cold and knows that if he isn't much improved in the morning he will be missing this year's adventure.  When I tucked him into bed this evening he said, "You know, Mom, I don't just want to go to camp because it's fun, I want to go and worship God with my friends."  I know.

I do know.

Church camp, for churched children, is a miracle thing.  A transforming place where a family's faith becomes a child's own.  Away from Mom and Dad, and Sunday morning squabbles on the the way to church, a Christian boy who knows Bible stories takes ownership of God's Word in new ways.  From milk to meat on the mountain top of church camp.  

Not too many weeks ago, this same boy confessed to me, "Sometimes I hear a message at church and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."  I sat on the end of his bed not sure what he meant - not wanting to speak before knowing and hearing and understanding His heart question.  And then I did.  The place he is at 10 is a thrilling place on the precipice of one of God's greatest promises. 

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD.  

(Jeremiah 29:12-14)

That is camp, Christian parents!  We model it at home and sometimes we fail it at home, but at camp they get away and experience it as their own.  

I am so excited for my children to seek God and find God; to find Him faithful and extravagant and kind and caring.  That is camp.  That is camp.  

That is camp, Sweet Caleb.  

May the Lord mend you as you rest, and keep His promise to be found by you, my boy.