From the time I was 12 until I was 18, this time of year as the seasons change, the days get longer, the school year draws to an end, would also be marked by an anticipation of a week of spiritual renewal, of seeing friends with a common bond, and of being in the mountains at Camp Blue Haven. Blue Haven, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, is the church camp I went to for six years with the Minter Lane youth group. The drive to camp from Abilene took about 8 hours, but the last hour always seemed the longest. I remember the first time I went, I kept wondering where the mountains were as we drove closer and closer. It wasn't until we turned on the road marked Blue Haven Youth Camp that I was able to see any.
Every year after that, just turning on to that road would bring butterflies to my stomach. Each bump in the road that got us closer to camp also brought memories of the friends we would finally see again after months of writing letters (real letters with stamps and everything). As we pulled up to the camp, we would look for familiar vans from other churches to see who was already there. We waited in line with anticipation to see who was in our cabin and who our counselor would be.
I always knew that this week in the summer would be a time to refocus and to be refreshed. It was a time to devote to growing closer to the Lord, and to do so with the support, teaching, and encouragement of other Christians, both teachers and peers. I wish I could still get "away" from worldly and routine things and retreat to the mountains of Blue Haven for spiritual renewal every year. That's partly why I love backpacking. It forces you to leave worldly values and extravagance behind while being enveloped in the majesty of God's creation and the purity of his love. These times of reflection are important for me because I don't want to just get caught up in the routine, I want to live an intentional life.
