Something is Growing at Camp… A Green Grassy Playing Field!
I probably should have known… but this isn’t a small job. I was naive and thought we could just roll out some sod, give ‘er six weeks and some sunshine… we’d all be laying on our backs, watching the clouds roll by, or playing ORC on a flourishing, soft green field, with a hundred of our closest friends and junior campers.
Turns out this is false. First there’s got to be dirt - a whole lot of dirt. The dirt has to be expertly leveled to allow water retention, but also drainage. You gotta treat that dirt real nice. You can’t walk all over it, and you DEFINITELY can’t drive all over it. THEN, and only then, comes the seed. That seed eventually produces grass, and that grass will grow strong and fast and become a playing field for generations to enjoy. No longer will we water the rocks to keep the dust down. No longer will the playing field be a literal sore spot. Grass.
In the COLTS program, we learn to keep our eyes open for teachable moments. With eyes open, it is easier to see God's provision everywhere: a creek, a tarp, a clearing sky… all of these may also be lessons that testify to God’s goodness, God’s faithfulness and love. The skill we learn in COLTS is the simple and profound skill of noticing. (If you are looking for a peaceful song about this particular skill… I (Bronwyn) recommend this one.)
I completed COLTS in 2018, and I have kept my eyes open since then: a persistent change in perspective. I felt it again while I was thinking about this new playing field. There’s a parallel between that field and our own faith. God covers up a gravelly field with good soil, plants a seed; it grows and is a blessing to all around. As it grows, it becomes more beautiful, and it begins to be easier to kneel. And finally, a place of comfort, to rest, to remember Jesus. A blessing to be sure.
Thank you to those who contributed to the purchase of the dirt, and grass seed; and especially to Vitae Environmental Construction, who provided hours of labour and expertise, to smooth our rocks into the beginning of a field.