For the past 14 days...

I have officially been camping for two weeks now.  The past couple of weeks have been filled with "firsts."  Here are a few of them:

1.  I have become fairly confident in assembling tents, and have taken part in the setting up of about 9 tents.  Pretty impressive for someone who has only been camping once before (and was NO help in the assembly process of the tent).

2.  I have learned the art of wearing shorts with industrial black boots in the morning to avoid soggy feet from the morning dew.

3.  I have learned how to make "noodle boodle."  Essentially, this is just copious amounts of elbow macaroni with 6-8 cups of mayo.  Funny how constipation is an issue around here...

4.  I have brushed my teeth and washed my face in the "trough."  No sinks needed here, folks.

5.  I have used a port-a-potty everyday for the past 14 days.

6.  I have learned that it is not good to try to stand in your tent when your tent is south of 4.5 feet- it results in an achy back.

7.  I have learned that you need to be careful with your fashlight inside your tent when you are changing at night.  "Shadow shows" are seriously frowned upon here. 

8.  I have never thought of going to WalMart as an excited outing.  But let me tell you, it is.

9.  I have learned that "rain" here in Illinois is not like the "rain" back in Washington.  I think they should stop using the term "rain" and go for something more along the lines of "torrential downpour."  It's really not fair to those of us from the west coast who think "rain" means "grab a sweatshirt." 

I'm sure there will be plenty more firsts along the way, but I thought I would write some down now before I forget.  I can't say there aren't times when I wish I was at home, with a mattress, with a roof, with food that doesn't include mayo... but I am happy to be here and excited for what God has in store for the next 5 weeks. 

"See-yourself-in-the-shades" conversations

We’ve all experienced it: that awkward conversation when you can see yourself in the other person’s sunglasses.  It’s weird on several levels.  First of all, you feel like you’re talking to yourself- is there really someone behind those darkened lenses?  Secondly, you don’t really know where the other person is looking- can they tell you’re checking yourself out in their shades?  And lastly, you always notice something not so pleasant in your reflection- a clump of disobedient hair, a zit that’s grown dramatically over the past 3 hours since you’ve seen a mirror, or maybe a little residue left over from lunch on your chin.  I really don’t like these conversations.  I don’t want to be looking at myself and I am constantly distracted by all the imperfections of my reflection staring back at me that the conversation goes quickly by the wayside. 

This afternoon I had one of these “see-yourself-in-the-shades” conversations and something struck me:  when Christ sees me, I am (in a sense) wearing sunglasses.  Once accepting Christ into our lives, God sees us through the “Christ-filter.”  Suddenly it has nothing to do with what I’ve done and it becomes about who I am in Christ.  God looks at me, sees himself in the reflection of my shades, and every imperfection I fear is wiped away. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And he has committed us to the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though Christ were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

So stand with your head held high wearing the sunglasses of Christ.  You are forgiven.