FAT Questions

“The F is for FOOD and the A is for ACTIVITIES, the T is for TIME and we know never to ask of these! FAT QUESTIONS, FAT QUESTIONS, FAT QUESTIONS!”

At Kamp we have a cheer or song about almost everything, including FAT Questions. What is a “fat question,” you might ask? As the cheer says, it is any question about food, activities, or time. I would be willing to be that throughout the day we are asked about the day’s schedule and meals at least a thousand times. We discourage these questions because we want kampers to focus on being kids and having fun! Everything at Kamp should have some element of surprise, if the kids know what is coming they can’t enjoy the moment. Surprises create the “moments of wonder” that K-Kountry is known for.

We got our final group of girls on Saturday and it was one of the most challenging days of my life. We were supposed to have K-Life #4 after changeover, but thanks to some unexpected thunderstorms K-Kountry lost power and evening plans changed very quickly. Having a new set of names to learn and eleven new trunks to unpack is hectic enough, throw in a few terrified seven year olds and some headlamps as your only source of light and you’ve got a mad house. Instead of K-Life we had “Night of Champions” and all of the kids competed for different records in events like juggling, blobbing, and hula hooping. After the awards ceremony we went back to our Barns to get the kiddos into bed. What a challenge. We had to get eleven girls into their pajamas and bed for their first night at kamp with zero lights and no fan to help with the heat.

While we were helping them one by one get ready for bed they asked a MILLION questions. “When are we eating again? It’s hot; can we turn on the fan? Are we having the Redneck party tomorrow? Why is it so dark in here? Can I go down the zipline tonight? Is K-Life really loud?” Literally every question they could possibly ask. I was beyond frustrated by the time we finished brushing teeth and getting everyone in their bed. I was so tired of answering questions that I thought were completely unnecessary. I don’t know why I thought they should know what to expect from Kamp, since most of them are first year kampers, but that night the heat and my exhaustion were getting the best of me.

This summer we’re studying James (this is the second summer in a row I’ve been in a James study, I guess God wants me to learn something specific). When I opened my Bible that night I was slapped in the face with this:

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:7-8

Patience.

My seven year olds aren’t patient, but then again, neither am I. How many times a day do I ask FAT questions? Probably more often than my kampers. “God, what am I going to do with my life? Where should I go to grad school when I finish this year in Oxford? Who am I going to marry and WHEN? How many kids will I have, I really want two? Where will I live when I’m older, I want to live close to my parents? Why do I have to be patient, can’t I have everything all at once?”

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

I ask and wonder what the Lord has in store for me rather than enjoying this season of my life. I only have a few short months left of my undergraduate career and then its hello real world, real decisions, real bills, and real career (maybe). I am a control freak when it comes to making a plan. I like to know what’s going to happen and when so I can be prepared. When I started college I would have laughed if you told me I would work at a summer camp with no air conditioner, no diet coke, and no cell phone. Now, I can’t imagine a more perfect place to spend a summer. Clearly, God is in control. Only He has the power to get a girl like me to give up a summer by the pool to wear crazy costumes, carry kids around, and sweat to death all for His kingdom.

This summer I am most definitely learning patience (like I mentioned in my previous post). I am learning patience with the beautiful young women I am surrounded by 24 hours a day. Patience with myself when I can’t accomplish goals I’ve set. And patience with my Heavenly Father who has a plan bigger than I could ever imagine.

So from here on out, no more FAT Questions. I will trust in His holy and perfect plan.