Season of Change

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It marks the end of a season which sometimes feels eternal, and brings a sense of new beginnings. The snow has been melted in Elgin for quite some time now and there is freshness that abounds from the Earth as we see new flowers blooming and as the first of our veggies in the garden are ready to be harvested. I love the way the world smells in the early morning in the spring. We walked out of our house this morning to go to work and the sun was already warm, there was a light dew on the grass and you could hear birds singing.

For me, every season means something. Even though I’m out of school now (temporarily, at least) fall still means back to school, changing leaves, warm sweaters and pumpkin spice drinks. Winter makes me think of Christmas, snowy days, long nights and warm fires. Spring has always been a time of transition. School ending, anticipation for the summer. In the past few years, early summer, this time where we now find ourselves, has meant camp. I was on program staff at Camp Swatara for two summers where I spent my days as a counselor, playing four square, going swimming, and singing around campfires. 

As this time of year has approached once again, our whole house was lucky enough to find ourselves at Camp Swatara last weekend for Young Adult Conference. We had a wonderful weekend connecting with other young adults of the Church of the Brethren, worshiping, hearing from amazing speakers, and exploring the many beautiful natural settings camp has to offer.

That weekend was a much needed time of renewal for me. It was great to be back at a place I’ve learned to call home, and to revisit some of my favorite spots at camp. On Sunday morning two of my friends and I hiked up the mountain to a spot called the rock pile where we watched the sunrise. The world is unbelievably peaceful at this time of day. God’s presence surrounded us as we watched the sun appear from behind the ridge to our left and shine light to the valley below us. We then walked down to a spot called Vesper Hill where we met Theresa, Kristen and Don who were spending the early morning journaling. Camp is a place of healing, of beauty, of light and of love.

This year, although I’m not returning to Camp Swatara for the summer, I am still preparing myself for a season of camp. I leave in six days to start the great adventure of traveling around the country leading workcamps. My first workcamp is in Americus, Georgia on a beautiful farm called Koinonia. I’m nervous and excited but feel ready to get on the road.

Late spring/early summer is a season of change. The Earth sheds its winter cloak, animals reappear, the ground softens, flowers bloom, leaves come back to trees, and the sun stays around longer. For some, the world slows down. Kids are off of school, families go on vacation, and people take time to simply be. For others, this is just the beginning. Theresa and I will spend the summer traveling, Kristen and Ben head to Junior High Conference in a few weeks, and Jessie will be at summer orientation in a little over a month. Change, I’ve come to realize, is bittersweet. Goodbyes are hard, so instead I’ll say “see you later.”

Peace, 

H