"Dear God...."

Dear
Father-Mother
God -

This is my letter Home.

I love camp.

I love waking up every morning to
the sound of other children
breathing softly
from where they are
dreaming in
their bunks.

I love that the blankets are
scratchy, and smell like
my grandmother's attic.

I love that the first thought I have
each morning,
is that I am part of something
wonderful here -

I am
part of a very special kind of family

We
care for each other,
by loving You.

I feel like every thought I bring to
the breakfast table,
every scripture I find for
our program inspirational,
or my moment of gratitude
at evening flag -
is the
most important
thing I do.

When my friend is feeling frightened
by a thunderstorm, I know that
the way I think about her,
and her relationship to You,
and Your relationship to
the earth,
can bring us both peace.

I have learned that my thoughts
are always from You and that
they give me the
courage to
be brave,
to show forgiveness,
and to speak with
kindness.

I am discovering that I can love others,
as much as my mom and
dad love me. 

This is a very big
thing to discover about myself.

I have learned that I
can do things I might not really
like to do, because it is
going to be good for others.

I can help with the dishes,
share my favorite sweater,
clean the bathroom for
our cabin,
be patient with younger campers, 
and even
comfort someone who has been
mean to me, when they are
afraid of the dark,
and I am not.

I can read the lesson to
a  horse,
sing hymns with my friends at campfire,
sit quietly for an hour during
"Alone with Your Thoughts,"
or
pray for myself when I am
homesick.

I can do all these things that
I thought only moms and
dads were good at.

Dear God -
I love
camp.

thank You for sending
me here.

I think it is helping me
discover
that I am,
exactly who
You,
know
I am.

your happy daughter,
Kate