Camping, the World, Words, and Insecurity

1.  Camping is never camping enough.

  The past few days were spent by me, my husband, and our two dogs at our local campground.  It was quite the enjoyable experience.  What cracks me up about camping though is it's never "camping" enough for someone else.  If you're a tent camper like me, then you tend to give the stink eye to those hotels on wheels with TVs hanging off the sides.  "That's not camping!" I think to myself.  But then someone looks at me and sees that I have a water hook-up to my site and suddenly I'm not camping either.  "You're staying in a campground??  Nope, sorry that's not camping.  See what you need to do is go out into the middle of some random woods with that tent.  Then you'd be camping."  I can imagine my then doing so.  I'm sure then some more rustic Joe is going to come along, and I can just hear the conversation. 

"You're sleeping in a tent?  EHHH sorry that's not camping.  What you need to do is sleep on the ground in that sleeping bag under the stars.  Then you'd be camping." 

And then more, MORE rustic Joe:

"  What??  You have a sleeping bag??  Nope, sorry..."

....

"  You brought matches?  That's not camping!  You need to rub two sticks together to make fire.  Then you'll be a real camper."

.....

"  You went to Walmart and got trail mix before you left?? Nope, sorry that's not camping.  If you want to be a real camper you're gonna have to jump into that creek there and grab yourself a fish and cook it over that fire that you started with those two sticks.  Then you'd be camping."

  I mean, what is the definition of camping anyways?  It seems we pretend like it's "Live as animalistically as possible.  Forgo any step of progress made over the last thousands of years".  According to an actual dictionary though, it's "To live temporarily in or as if in a camp or outdoors, usually for recreation.  To reside or lodge somewhere temporarily or irregularly."  Well I'll admit that definition leaves a lot of room for... um, interpretation.  But I guess that's the way it should be.  Camping should be what each person wants it to be, free of turned up noses, even if that means sitting out at the campfire watching TV on the side of your bus, er.. camper.  Truly, I'd like the definition of camping to be something like this:  " Accidentally almost eating bugs.  Waking up in the middle of the night freezing cold, hearing frogs die.  Smelling like smoke for the next 30 years."  If that were the case, I'd say I'm quite the successful camper.



2. He's got the whole world.


  We were sitting out on a dock one night watching a stunning sunset. And it just hit me.... looking at all the birds, bugs, trees, lights... hearing all the creatures and technology.... it just hit me how big this world is, and how much is going on, and how God has every little part of it in His hands. And that lil' simple song came to me with such power I knew it wasn't just a child's song: "He's got the whole world in His hands..." Wow. So amazing. He's got the WHOLE world in His hands... and that includes me and everything in my life. When I feel like it's too much... to think that it's not for Him.  Because the whole world isn't too much for Him... so neither am I.



3.  Words are so scarily powerful.

  One of the down sides of our camping trip was a set of neighbors we had  for a couple days (yes, we had neighbors.  While you're rolling your eyes thinking "That's not camping" please see above).  They consisted of a father and his 12 year old daughter and whatever friends he had over for the time being.  They did most of the things I found annoying: were loud, up late, and played music, etc.  But those weren't what got under my mosquito-eaten skin.  What got me most irked was that this guy felt the need to verbally abuse his daughter continually.  Nothing she did was good enough, quick enough, careful enough, or just plain enough.  Guess who ended up looking like the child the whole time? . It was all I could do to keep myself planted at the picnic table; but at least from there I could shoot him death looks that he couldn't see through the smoke.  One if his peaks was when his way too young girlfriend came over with a puppy.  The guy had already made it clear to his daughter throughout the previous time camping that he thought her "stupid".  Well when lil' puppy ate the 12 year old's hair bow she said "stupid dog" (accurate).  Guess who got yelled at for calling the dog stupid?  Sheeesh.  Another peak was when the guy not only offered the 12 year old beer, but pretty much commanded her to taste it.  I wanted to go remind the guy that there was no alcohol permitted in the campgrounds, and oh, did you know 12 is too young to drink beer??  Instead I prayed for his soul. 

  Words are so powerful.  I hope that girl grows up to be the next Beth Moore and makes her lousy upbringing bring bigger, better things.  Because while all those words she's hearing are so powerfully destructive, God can redeem them and harness that power for so much more.



4.  "So Long Insecurity".

  Speaking of Beth, one of the books I finished reading while camping was "So Long Insecurity" by Beth Moore.  I cannot recommend this book more strongly!  It was absolutely, overwhelmingly refreshing, convicting, and inspiring.  If you are a female, I dare say you MUST read this book.  You will be forever glad that you did!