During the last day or two of a session, the word “growth” is thrown around a lot. This growth we talk about isn’t always referring to the physical growth, such as being able to swim a lap in the pool, but spiritual and mental growth. We ask the campers to look inward to determine if their faith, values, sense of self has changed from move in day, to the closing ceremony. During our closing ceremony as counselors for summer 2015, it was time for us to think about our own growth, something we as counselors have not had to do yet.
How do you really know if you have grown? There isn’t always the “aha!” moment of clarity in which you can apply a lesson you “learned the hard way” at camp to another situation. There isn’t always a supervisor to sit down with you and mention a few points in which they saw growth. Instead, you just have to have faith. Faith that even though there isn’t always a tangible change, or a moment to analyze, God has given you the gift of personal growth, and it will all reveal itself in good time.
This fall, I will be entering my 2nd year of university, which will be filled with applications for semester programs abroad, and pitches that I will be sending to various Buzzfeed knockoffs in the hopes I can publish a piece or two on their website for no pay. Hopefully, I have grown in my patience, my understanding of various communities, and understanding of God. I may not enter this year knowing how I have grown, but God loves me, and I know that my growth will be proven one way, or another.
-By Nick Augustine
Camp Counselor and WSI Instructor
