Day 6: Covenant

I’m going to stick to the literal meaning of this word…  On the first day of every camp at Birchwood we gather all the campers, counselors, and staff together and outline a covenant.  This agreement is a promise to each other of how we will act and live through the week we have together.  This covenant comes from the kids, and we all agree to these ‘rules’ so that every person can have a positive camp experience. 

I struggle sometimes on keeping my agreements.  I am one of those people who has difficulty saying “no.”  This makes my schedule rather jam packed, with each night of the week accounted for, sometimes multiple times.  And truthfully, I like to keep busy.  I like to feel productive, to be engaged in the community, and to explore different interests.  I volunteer a lot of my time, and am involved in many leadership positions on campus.  The sum effect of each of these commitments however is a week with few evenings to myself.

I love Birchwood because we are intentional, and the covenant that we make is a sign of that intentionality.  This is something I need to work on moving forward.  I shouldn’t participate in an activity because I feel like I have to or need to; I should approach each engagement with purpose, with intent, and for the people I am working with.  My mom calls this “being present,” and it is a good thing to keep in mind when interacting with each and every person I meet. 

The same intent needs to be endorsed in relationships, with friends and family.  Sometimes saying “no” to one thing may be the right way to say “yes” to spending time with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile, or letting someone special know that you love them, or just taking a break with yourself and Netflix to relax or going on a run to recompose your sanity. 

Our time is precious, it is the only time that we have, and it is up to us to delegate how we use that time.  There are some things that we need to do, and then there are some things that we need to do that really matter.  It is these that I need to focus my time on, to keep my promises to people that I love, and intentionally be available to them.

(Photo credit: Birchwood camp)