Give Them Heros

Every summer, I help at Royal Family Kids Camp, a camp for children in the foster care system. This is always the best week of my year. I get to connect with amazing children who may have never received a birthday gift before or who were never told that their life has meaning. The greatest part of this camp is getting to meet these kids where they are at and give them permission to be a kid for possibly the first time in their life. Whether you get to encourage them to step out of your comfort zone or they ask you to do something out of yours, God is going to move when you say yes to Him. A simple conversation may save a life, and getting to be a part of what He is doing has the potential to change both of your lives.

 

Last summer, I was a counselor for two twelve-year-old girls. This was a big jump from working with seven-year-olds the year before. I’m not going to lie, going into this, I was terrified, but I knew even in my fear that God chose me for these girls for a reason. And looking back, I don’t regret a thing. The moment the bus pulled up, and the girls and I had our first conversation, I knew He had something great planned for the week.

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The one I will here call Layla lost her mother when she was little but hopes to fulfill her mother’s dream of opening a bakery one day. She was a very shy girl with a big heart, an artist, and kind big sister. Day one, Layla was terrified of the chapel services. Kids all around her were jumping, dancing, and singing, but it overwhelmed her, so she sat down to sketch. I told her afterwards how I was once afraid of dancing in church as well, but that when I finally tried it, I found it very fun. The very next day, I saw a shift in this girl, and by the final day of camp, she was up in the front row during worship, unashamed as she did the movements. Sometimes, kids just need to know that you were once in the same position as them, and a little encouragement can go a long way.

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We will call the other girl Avery. Avery loved volleyball and singing, and was one of the most grateful children I have ever met. One of my favorite memories with Avery was the talent show. She had originally been planning on drawing for the performance, but five minutes before we were called on stage, she whispered to me that she wanted to sing instead and that she needed me to sing with her. Now, I have a horrible fear of singing, but I knew I couldn’t tell her that. I nodded in response and asked her what song we were going to sing. And then, just like that, we got up on stage and sang Oceans by Hillsong United. It was a magical moment. One of the youngest girls at camp started bawling on the front row because she “felt Jesus in that song.” And Avery told me that the talent show ended up being her favorite day of camp, just because I got out of my comfort zone and joined her in praising God even in my fear.

 

However, one of the most impactful moments during this year of camp was not with one of my own girls. It was with one of the seven-year-old girls, Kylie. I had met her the day before in the arts and crafts room. She was wearing a butterfly hairpin when we met, and I told her that it looked very cute. “Thanks!” She had exclaimed, “My room is decorated with butterflies!”

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That conversation lasted only a moment, but the next day I found Kylie crying in the gym. I sat beside her and asked her what was wrong. She told me that she was ugly, a horrible person, and that the world would be better without her. I distinctly remember silently praying in that moment, begging God to give me words of life to replace the lies Kylie was taught to believe about herself. Then God told me what to do: talk to her about butterflies. So I did.

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“Do you know where butterflies come from?” I asked.

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“From caterpillars,” she cried.

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“Exactly!” I said. “Right now, you feel like you’re just a caterpillar, that you’re different and a little weird, but you are so much more than that—deep inside, you are really a beautiful butterfly.”

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God continued to expand the analogy, and I could see something light up in that girl as I spoke. But I still hurt so deeply when I think of it, why would anyone make a young child feel that way, that their life doesn’t have meaning?

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Camp taught me to give these children heroes in the simple things… encouraging them to get up and have some fun, or allowing them to teach you to step out of your comfort zone once and awhile, or every now and then to have a conversation that might just change their life. We need to set an example for them, showing every single person on this earth that their story has meaning and what they are going through is valid and deserves to be heard. We need to give them heroes to look up to, whether that be a butterfly, you, or even themselves. They deserve to have an opportunity to believe in something, and maybe by saying yes to God, you can be a part of something so much bigger than yourself. You can be a part of God’s desire to give them heroes to look up to.