I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

In January, I wrote about the wonderful opportunity that my son Drew had. He would be working at Carolina Point, a Young Life camp in North Carolina, for a month.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can check out my previous post by selecting this link:

Coincidence or God's Perfect Timing?

Six months have passed, and today I dropped Drew at camp until July 25! He will be serving alongside many college students and adults to share God's word and have fun doing it. 

Drew and Daniel, his buddy from home who will be Drew's primary companion for the next four weeks.

I had planned to take lots of pictures of Drew, the camp, and the other staff members; however, there was a huge downpour that didn't allow us to see much of the beautiful place. Drew was so excited and I think ready for us to leave.

I'll admit that I'm more than a bit nervous about this whole thing. I know that Drew is 28 and I need to "let go" more than I do, but it's easier said than done when dealing with a child who has a disability. I have doubts that he will make it the whole month, worries that he will get homesick or that I'll miss him too much, and concerns that the other young people may not truly accept him. 

When these worries come to mind, I think about something a counselor told me once: "You can't grieve over something before it happens." In other words, don't expect the worst to happen and thus start preparing yourself for it so that you won't be hurt or disappointed. I have tried to remain positive about this experience for us, Drew and all the other people he will come in contact with over these next four weeks. 

I've been working to make connections for Drew before today. I introduced him and myself on the Facebook page for the summer staff and even joined in a Group-Me text with many others. I posted pictures of Drew at the Taylor Swift concert and of Drew on the podium when he won a silver medal at Special Olympics for tennis. I thought doing this would give people prior knowledge of his activities so that they would have a starting point to a conversation with him. I guess I am really, really worried about his being accepted by everyone. 

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 139:13-14:

This verse says that we are all -- White, Black, Asian, Disabled, Gay, Fat, Skinny, Blonde, Ginger, etc. -- are all made by God and that we are all small bits of wonder in this large world. When we stop and consider how wonderful all of God's works are, it's easy to let go of prejudice and hate and to be accepting of everyone. 

So Drew is 100 miles away from home for four weeks with no phone, no tablet, no real contact with family. I would appreciate your prayers for him, for the staff at Carolina Point, and for me. If you'd like to send him a note of encouragement or a card, I know he'd like it. His address is Drew Owen, 4000 Glady Fork Road, Brevard, NC 28712.

Tonight, I saw this picture on Instagram that someone at Carolina Point posted. It was taken after today's thunderstorm had passed. I'll take it as a sign that good things will come.

carolinapoint...and the view wasn't too shabby to end the day either.