the River...

The River...

Most of you know I went back to Heart O' the Hills for my camp reunion last weekend. While a difficult trip to make it was a good one. There was only a small group that were able to go, thanks to Ike but it was a sweet time of swimming in the river, taking siestas, milk line, ice cream at Jane's house, watching old camp film, sharing memories, singing songs and yes crying... As I sat on tribe hill I longed for Rachel to be there with me or at least have known that she got to experience the Heart as I had. I was reminded by a dear friend on the hill that she was there with us. She was sitting on her first Shawnee Hill and taking it all in just as I had as a little girl and now grown up. As I sat in church school overlooking the beautiful
last Sunday He gently reminded of my past, my present and my future as I watched the river quietly flow. Quietly flow, yet with life, fish swimming, turtles shyly peeking around and even a long skinny turtle (code for snake in the river) decided to swim by. HE quietly reminded me of my past as a camper and then counselor, my present as a woman of the King, a wife and mother... and yes of two, even if one of my children happens to live in heaven, and my future... not sure what the future holds for us. But I do know that if we keep relying on HIM it is going to be awesome. And right now we are really not thinking of the future we are still putting one foot in front of the other and following His lead.

It was 1975 the first year I attended there. I loved it. It was a place where I could be me, I could be a kid, a kid with no responsibilities other than myself and having fun and boy did I have fun. I went there until 1982 when I could no longer be a camper. And then worked two summers until I could be a counselor and then one summer as a counselor. My days there are a big part of who I am. I learned about truthfulness, goodness, purity, trust, faith, honesty, unselfishness and courage. I made lasting friendships. And I know that it is a place that brings me such peace and comfort and I am always welcome there. The feeling of diving in that water was incredible and you know how I feel about large bodies of water... that particular part of the river is wonderful... cool, crisp and refreshing... A part of me will always long for camp but I must face what is is my present and my future. As we were sharing favorite scriptures in church school a dear friend mentioned her favorite... it is the same one I have been hanging on to since I saw Rachel laying there on the stretcher in ER that night. I kept saying it over and over to her that night as Jesus came to take her home. I am clinging to it; although sometimes by a thread... "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11We do have hope and we do have a future...

Remember the times we’ve had here,
Remember when you’re away,
Remember the friends you’ve made here,
And don’t forget to come back some day,
Remember the blazing campfires,
The sparkling waters too,
For you belong to Heart O’ the Hills,
And Heart O’ the Hills belongs to you,
Remember….