Summer Church Camp

This summer I got the chance to go to church camp and be a counselor!

Growing up I loved church camp until the 9th grade when I had a bad experience with a counselor and never went back. It was interesting being at back at church camp with so many kids and adults in one place with recovery eyes this time.

I have had many "light bulb moments" since I began my recovery journey almost 4 years ago, but one of the biggest one's is that "Hurt people, Hurt people!" Since learning and understanding that statement I feel like I am able to have more compassion, be less judgmental, and even almost sense the hurt in others. I have never been to a church camp that did not have some drama or some hurt people in attendance, and the week I went to camp this summer was no exception.

Many times I sat back and felt like I was watching myself back in high school.  Before my recovery, I would have been a hard-nosed by the book counselor (or as a camper I would want to be "right" more than I wanted to go back to camp).  I would not have cared why people were breaking the rules, what their background was, or honestly what hurts they had in their lives. I would just want to hand out the punishments.

Recovery has caused me  to react slower to people and their actions and has opened my heart that other people's life journeys have peaks and pits just like mine. Even with my own kids now I feel like when they are acting out or doing something to get in trouble, my first reaction a lot of times is now to ask them what is going on or what happened in their day instead of handing out punishments. When I have the whole story it helps me set consequences and are usually more effective. I know that in my life I have hurt a lot of people out of my own hurt and to be honest at the time I did not know that I was doing that. Celebrate Recovery has helped me be honest about those hurts for the first time because I was able to share them free of judgment, which has made it easier to be honest about the hurt I have caused others. When I was able to be honest about the things I have said and done to hurt others, it made it easier for me to become more compassionate and less judgmental of others on their rough days in life.

Someone once told me "I sure hope no one remembers me for the worst things I have ever done!" I have made it a goal to not do that with others. I can't say it is always easy but one thing I have learned is that EVERYONE has hurts in their life and everyone has to have their own journey. My focus should be to "take this sinful world as it is not as I would have it and trust that he will make all things right if I surrender to his will!"  When I am able to do that I will "be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next."

Grateful Believer,
JEN