Camp Counselors and a Prayer for VBS

We have camp counselors sleeping in our storm ravaged cottage.  One of them was here 2 years ago--I had this moment of staggering loss when I thought about how different everything was 2 years ago before Hurricane Irma came and put almost a foot of water in the cottage where it stood for days.

I feel like I shouldn't feel this loss.  At some point, I may look around and say, "Hey, our main house is better now.  The hurricane damage forced us to get on with what we needed to get done in terms of house renovations."  But it's hard to imagine getting the cottage repairs complete.  I have hopes that at some point I'll look up and say, "Hey, we finally did this."

I say that the cottage is just fine for the counselors.  It's clean, and although the walls are lined with boxes, there's space to sleep and space to sit.  It's better than the tents they might have slept in at other camps.  It's better than the cabins with campers in some ways.

Two years ago, the cottage had a TV.  This year, we haven't replaced the TV yet.  Will we?  My spouse thinks it needs a TV; he worries that counselors will be bored out there.

The camp counselors are here because they're leading our Vacation Bible School.  Let me remember that they're not here for a resort vacation.  I have a vision that their days will exhaust them.  My spouse, as I said, thinks they may get bored or feel pushed away out there.

Last night while I was waiting for them to arrive, I thought about my own family of origin and all the times we had college kids stay with us.  I remember when I was in 5th or 6th grade, a chorale group from a Lutheran college came to give a concert, and students stayed with the various members of our congregation.  It was the first time that I remember hearing about college and feeling like I couldn't wait for that time period.  Before that, as I played with dolls, I imagined the future in terms of a husband and children.

It is also the first day of Vacation Bible School.  Let me compose a prayer for the start of VBS:

Nurturer God, please be with our VBS this week:  the children, the counselors, the other workers, the parents who entrust their children to us.  Let the work be full of good fruit.  Let the play be peaceful.  Let us all have a glimpse of your Kingdom, as it will be, as it can be right now.