The rock-climbing date

You may recall a post I wrote back in January... or maybe not... so here is a quick link to it. Well on the last day of camp I shared some of these thoughts with the girls, as a way to understand "the hope of glory."

"I love this place!" I said. "There is so much to do here... and I love watching you girls do so many exciting things. And I wish I could do them all with you - water skiing, swimming, rock climbing... I've been looking at that mountain all week wishing I could climb it and repel or cliff jump off of it into the lake! That's something I'm really looking forward to in heaven - being able to do all the amazing things I can't do now, with no fear of pain or death or failure...and I want to see you all there. I can't wait to share adventures in heaven with you. "

After chapel, one of the campers came over to me and said, "In case you are wondering what I am doing when you're speaking, I am actually drawing pictures. It helps me focus and pay attention better. So, today I drew this picture of you.."

A pretty good likeness, I'd say! Complete with glasses, wheelchair, and Peter Pan converse shoes. At the bottom of the page, she wrote: "Remember: visit Connie in heaven. Go rock climbing."

This girl is super cool! I got to hear her story later... she was adopted by a Christian woman who couldn't have kids, and she was praying and reading 1 Samuel 1 when she got the phone call that there was a 7-year-old girl who needed a home. The even crazier thing is that this woman had seen the girls' aunt crying alone in a church some weeks before, and had stopped and prayed with her, not having any idea that the lady was crying because she didn't want to put her own niece up for adoption but couldn't afford to care for her. This was probably one of my favorite God stories I heard all week.

That night at chapel, I told the whole group of girls that my new friend and I already have a rock climbing date when we get to heaven. "Any one else care to join us?" I asked, and a bunch of eager hands raised. I looked at my friend, who had sketch pad in hand, and said, "What do you think? Is it ok if our party gets a little bigger?" She smiled really big and said of course it was.

So, in heaven, if you spot me taking on a huge mountain with a contingent of beautiful crazy girls around me, you'll know who they are.