I made it

I'm parking my golf cart, hanging up my name tag and charging my walkie-talkie until next year. I made it through my first summer with the title of "camp director". The days were hot and long and the nights were short and filled with 4am wake-up calls because kids were in need of meds. We had pool parties, a carnival, a scavenger hunt, a talent show and rounded out the week with a dance. There were screams coming from the giant swing, splashes coming from the pool and cheers coming from the dining hall. Aside from mealtime meds, 6am dialysis and a few wheelchairs- you would never know these kids are sick or only alive today because of a life-saving organ transplant. In my previous job, I saw our kids only when they were inpatient at their lowest low. Camp allows me to see them when they are living life to its fullest. It also serves as a reminder to myself in my own life. You see, it's very hard to have a pity party for yourself when I'm surrounded by kids with life-threatening illnesses and parents who see their children battle these diseases day in and day out when all they want to do is jump in the ring and fight for them. I see kids that have more medical knowledge than a second year med student and whose little bodies are pumped with hundreds of syllables of medication. Life is not fair and we were never promised that it would be. We were only promised that we wouldn't have to face it alone.  While we are still waiting for our joy to come in the morning, I can rest assured that we are one day closer today than we were yesterday. And while I know it's not going to be easy, I know it will be worth it.

I came across this devotional by Sarah Young on a friend's blog and the words provided much-needed nourishment to my soul:

"If you learn to trust Me - really trust Me - with your whole being, then nothing can separate you from My Peace. Everything you endure can be put to good use by allowing it to train you in trusting Me. This is how you foil the works of evil, growing in grace through the very adversity that was meant to harm you.

Beloved, it helps to have an eternal perspective. A large part of learning to trust Me is viewing your life through this big picture perspective. Your openness to accepting adversity as blessing shows that you are indeed learning to trust Me more. Your anticipation of good outcomes in the midst of hard times is a profound form of trust."