Camping

My wife Rhonda and I have been married for 5 years and every spring we contemplate what our summer vaction will look like. Invariably she suggests that we go camping - and every year I try and pursuade her that we would be better off doing something else.

Why don't I like camping? I used to camp a lot as a kid with my family and always had an enjoyable time. In fact I have many fond memories of spending the summer at Blue Lake campground with our friends. Hiking. Swimming. Fishing. What changed? I suppose somewhere along the way I got very comfortable with my home, our big leather couch and the nearness of the odour free bathroom. I suppose you could say I got very 'soft'.

So last week I'm listening to a friend talk about the transfiguration, were Peter suggests they set up 3 tents and camp out in this amazing place! The next thing you know I'm thinking about the Jews and how they would celebrate the 'Festival of Tents' to remind them of the time they spent wondering in the dessert. Then, completely out of the blue, I hear God's quiet inner voice saying to me "I want to you start camping!". I actually laughed out loud. Are you serious? Why? The answer was simple - I need to consciously surrender my comforts and learn to live with less. Not to prove that I can, but so I can live more generously with the wealth that I have. Being content in every situation wether I have much or little.

I got home and told Rhonda about my decision to become a camper again. She laughed at me because no matter how many times she would have asked I would have baulked at the idea - but God askes me once and I'm like 'OK!'.

I'm not sure what big lesson I can learn from this, but I'm quite sure the next time Rhonda wants me to do something she will probably ask God to ask me first.