In 2016, our church purchased 435 acres of land in order to hold camp retreats. My “service project” during sabbatical is to help groom this land for all of the future camps. I have been a Trip Captain for many of the previous Man Camp weekends held in 2015 and 2016 and I have seen first-hand how lives can be changed. We always start Man Camp weekends out with one hour of solitude, so I thought I would mirror that experience on a deeper level by camping for 48 hours by myself on this magnificent land. Packed and ready to go, I headed out on my quest. My friend Mike loaded my gear into his ATV and dropped me off at the camping spot. After I set up my tent and got situated, the sun began to set. I was suddenly overcome with an extreme feeling of loneliness. I realized all of the things in life that I took for granted including the companionship of my wife and the hustle and bustle of our house with three kids and three pets. People today are so wired to be connected. Smart phones, internet, social media, and Bluetooth headphones are just a few examples of how we stay connected. We hardly ever take time to just be quiet. This was certainly a challenge for me. As I sat and watched the fire burn, I came to a realization that it’s really only considered solitude if you don’t believe in God. As long as my faith was in Him, it was as if He and I were spending time one on one. This was such a relief for me. It’s not often that you get to go camping with your Heavenly Father. I spent the next four hours talking to Him and telling Him everything I was grateful for. The beautiful stars, the warm burning fire, the sound of the wind………………all of the things He created. I spent time praying for people and things in my life and asking for His help with my struggles. I put my pen to paper and took notes about what was around me and wrote love letters to people I care about. This was quickly changing from what I thought was solitude and alone time, to time with God and it was so beneficial. I felt His presence and knew He was listening. What a night!!
The next day took a different turn for me. I woke up to some pretty heavy rain and the forecast was not looking good. It called for “destructive winds, damaging hail, and a few tornadoes”. Needless to say, it did not seem responsible to camp in that weather. As I mentioned in my previous blog, God sometimes has different plans for us. It seemed as though His plan for me tonight was for me to be with my family and let them each know how special they are to me. I am just fine with that plan too!