On Saying Grace

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

- Colossians 4:2

In my opinion, the emphasis at Special Needs Summer Camps should be placed squarely on special, and not on the campers neediness. This year was no exception - as special as ever - and "special" is no tired cliche when the word is applied to these exceptional campers.  

All the conventional elements of a summer camp were there: water fights, campfires, horseback riding; contending with mosquitos, sweltering heat and the irritabilities of rubbing shoulders with people who don't always see things the way you do. Then again, there is nothing conventional about the way God gets through to us, and especially at camp, away from the T.V. and Internet, with only each other to occupy time; and at the end of the day, the wonders of God: Dragonflies circling the evening sky with the late sun behind us. Damp with sweat and sticky hands glued to roasted, spongy marshmallows, we sang around a blazing campfire, "My God is so big / so strong / and so mighty / there's nothing my God cannot do / FOR YOU!" our faces catching light close to the flickering flames of fire; we flexed our muscles with exaggeration, swinging rythymlessly with the song actions. 

Grace was evident everywhere this past week. Since grace is a free gift - unearned and undeserved - the only suitable response to grace is gratitude. In that case, there must have been as many ways to say thank you as the moments we shared. 

The last evening was set aside  for our awards ceremony. Clients won awards for a variety of achievements; such as the "most vocal" award (well-deserved recognition for her ear-splitting vocalizations all week), or the "best kitchen helper" award (always willing to lend a hand and give a bear hug to the kitchen crew, lightening the load of a thankless job), and of course, the generic "participation award" (the recipient received her award as if it were the Nobel Prize). 

One of our client's was called forward. Her staff signed to her that it was her turn to receive her award - she opened her mouth wide yielding joy, jumping to her feet with raised eyebrows. She ran to the front, grabbed hold of her certificate, and threw her arms around the camp director, holding her tightly for a good minute - holding so tightly we didn't think we could peal her away. She was moved to tears, throwing her head back in disbelief; and in response to her expression of gratitude, every eye across the chapel was bathed in a baptism of tears. Using her eccentric sign language, while still clutching her certificate, she signed more than words could ever say; the body language of gratitude; "Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!" hand to mouth and back again, like a celebrity blowing kisses to the adoring crowds. 

It's simple moments where the specialness of Special Needs Camps shines through. This year for me it was the understated prayers of "saying grace" before lining up cafeteria-style for our meal times in the "Mess Hall". As clients led us in prayer, meal after meal, a diverse patchwork of soul emerged, yet with common threads: simplicity; sincerity; God-responsiveness. There is a certain fittingness about their way of praying with immediacy; unburdening their hearts to God with heartfelt devotion.  

They pray as effortlessly and naturally as breathing. In fact, they make public prayer seem so simple that one wonders why "normal" people freeze up lifelessly at all, when invited to pray out loud with others. The first night of camp a client stood in front of us with spirited readiness to talk to God, then spoke slowly; contemplatively; "Thank you...Thank you..." and with a booming voice that took everyone off guard, "THANK YOU!" 

And all God's people hollered back, "Amen!" It's all grace.