My childhood held no Disney, skiing or trips that involved an airplane. Those things are not required, when the earthy world around you is grounded by true love and imagination. I was oblivious to the simplicity of the trappings of our lifestyle, because within it was the bounty of a secure, happy home. As children, we were required to work hard, but there were also the gossamer wings of play and freedom that my folks understood were necessary to a healthy childhood. Fancy hotels and exotic trips were never a possibility, but the humble crackle of a campfire and the buzz of a Coleman lamp were luxuries of the most exquisite nature. Bacon popping in a skillet, burnt marshmallows on the ends of sticks, midnight trips to the comfort station...spelled heaven to us kids. I know that my Mama, who loves all things clean and tidy, must surely have loved us to the moon and back. She endured the chaos of camping -- planned, prepared and executed -- because she truly loved us. There was a similar theme when it came to animals. We had a menagerie of mammals that paraded through my childhood. She fed them and let us always have them, simply because she loved us. There could be no other reason. Animals were not her idea of fun or delight, whereas I could not live without them. So she made sure I didn't.
One of my favorite camping stories was when we had gone to some state park in north Georgia. We had always tent-camped, but my folks had snatched up a pop-up camper on the side of the road for $25. It was a mess. They painted it, put a new plywood floor down, then used a piece of leftover linoleum from our kitchen to dress it out. Mama sewed a new cover for it, using the old, ratty one as a pattern. Then she sprayed it with something to make it waterproof. This trip was our first outing with the dolled-up camper. There was no bathroom, but we were in high cotton, no longer relegated to the ground when we slept.
I met a new friend at the campground. She was adventurous and more sophisticated than I. We hiked and climbed up a sheer rock wall, her showing me how to navigate with just my hands and feet. We were there a few days and tramped all around the expansive woods. One day, we had hiked a long way and came across a beautiful, shallow creek. There was a natural waterslide, where the creek sluiced invitingly through what appeared to be acres of shale. We debated jumping into that creek and sliding to wherever it led us. Then we debated some more. We talked about different scenarios and how we would deal with them, if there were danger involved. It was a very shallow creek. Surely it would be okay. We paused at the edge, daring each other to do it. This went on for some time, and then suddenly, inexplicably we decided against it. As we hiked around the mountain, the sun was getting low in the sky. It was a beautiful evening, purple and orange streaks near the horizon. The air was fresh, balmy, sweet. We explored the terrain as it curved around the hills, going back down rather up now. There was a new smell in the air, akin to the earth after a storm. After a sharp bend in the trail, we came into a large clearing, where the creek we had observed earlier came into focus...spilling hundreds of feet into a massive crater. Chills went down our spines as we realized where we would have ended up, had we taken our carefree, natural waterslide ride. God protects children and fools. We might have been both.
There are times that I recall that day, the magic of it and then the decision that probably saved our lives. We make choices all the time -- choices to turn this way or that, decisions to take that road or this one. You could make yourself crazy, worrying about what is right or wrong. We could decide to just stay in our houses for a year or two, just in case. I have pondered these kinds of things all of my life. I have been young and now am not so old, but I do know this: "If the Lord wills, we will do this or that" (James 4)....and every bend of the road is fraught with adventure, danger and even, yes, boredom. Pray for protection. Pray for wisdom. Trust God to guide you, then go ahead and live.
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