Family Camp 2008

Yesterday I made my way to Galveston for Family Camp 2008.  This is 5-day camp experience for families.  There are two churches involved in this year's camp - First Baptist Snyder and First Baptist Winnsboro.  I was asked to teach during the main sessions each evening.  For anyone who doesn't know, I grew up at FBC, Snyder...actually both Rhonda and I did.  Our home church has had some difficult years sense we left Snyder and went off to college, but they are on the up swing.  I am really excited about the path they are on right now, and I was honored to participate in this camp.  It is a little odd to stand up and speak to a group of people and see, sprinkled in the crowd, people that were in the youth group with me over 20 years ago.  Tonight, we sang a song that I vividly remember singing in a crowded room when we were all in high school...it took me to a place I hadn't prepared for, but it was good.

Last night, I called my talk, "The Banquet Table of Insignificance."   The main idea was that we have been invited to a banquet feast this week, but in order to get the most out of the party we must grasp our insignificance, which will free us to focus on the significant things.  Here is an example...most of us spend 40+ hours per week at a job that we hope is making a difference in the world.  We spend countless hours volunteering at schools, churches and other activities.  We have hobbies that take up a lot of time.  Did you know that less than 1/2 of 1% of us will be remembered 200 years from now...no matter how big of a contribution we think we will make in this world.  Think about your great grandparents...do you know their first names?  Do you know what they spent their life doing?  Do you know what their favorite hobbies were?  If you are like everyone at camp this week, you would have to answer "no," and that's just 4 generations of family.  What seems to be most significant about their lives was not what they did for a living, or did for fun, but that they had a kid that was my grandparent, who had a kid that was my parent, who had a kid that is me!  The legacy that we pass along through our children is what is "remembered" 200 years after we die.  If that is what is significant, then I want to recognize my insignificance, that I might free myself to invest in what is significant!

Tonight, we talked about time.  All of us need more time.  But the reality is often that we don't need more time, we just need to be better stewards of the time we have.  We must prioritize blocks of time.  Our challenge tonight was to block off one night a week for 6 months as our sacred family night.  The kids all colored calendars during my talk and tonight they were going back to their rooms to lock in on a day of the week that everyone would consider sacred.  Nothing gets planned on those nights, but if they can't help it, they can trade for another night.  This is a huge step...I know it is.  But for our families, it's crucial.  As parents, we must fight for these times.  We must build space into our schedules to be with our kids...and really BE there!  Once you are there, then you can begin to pour into your kids' lives.

Great week so far, and I get two more.  Tomorrow night is "Priority of Play" and Saturday is "A Piece of the Hood."  I'll fill you in later.  If you get a chance when you read this, please pray for me.  Gotta get some sleep now.  More on TK later, too.