Today we are excited to share with you a blog post from Eastern Ottawa Leader Lindsay Sall about her experience at Timber Wolf Lake. Check out her amazing photography blog here.
It’s been one whole week since I’ve been plopped back into the busyness of life after spending 6 beautiful days at one of my favorite places on earth, with some of my favorite people on this earth…..and I’m not even sure where to begin.
I want so badly to share with every one who asks me about camp [or anyone who’s willing to listen] what it’s like to spend a weekend…a week…a month…or a summer at Timber Wolf Lake. I want to explain it in full detail: detail that will intrigue and capture hearts the way TWL does to me every single time I’m there….but I’m not sure there are words to adequately describe that…However I think it’s a safe assumption to say that Timber Wolf is so many things to so many people. I came up with 5:
- Timber Wolf is fun. [maybe this one is the most obvious…] You get to swim, rock climb, zip line, blob, kayak, tube, eat food until your stomachs pop, lay in a hammock and sing your hearts out. You act goofy with your friends, and dress up in silly costumes. There’s tournaments + competitions between cabins, an 80 foot swing + ropes course, and surprises like you wouldn’t believe. For a whole 6 days at camp, there is nothing to worry about except what activity is going to be happening next and if you’ll need a swimsuit or clothes that may get a little muddy + wet. [Okay…and if I’m being really honest, you might worry a little bit if your harness will hold you when you’re about to free fall at the end of the ropes course….but that’s more of a terrifying thrill, I think, than a worry.] 😉 But you get the picture…lots and lots of fun.
- Timber Wolf is intentional. [and if you don’t know this about me, intentional is one of my favorite things, ever…besides Jesus + peanut butter] 😉 I love intentional. From the moment you walk off the bus, you are welcomed by the Work Crew [who are high school age kids who volunteer their time and hard work for the month cleaning cabins, doing dishes, serving meals, yard work, etc.] As your bus arrives and drops you off, the Work Crew is screaming and shouting and jumping up and down all because they are EXCITED for you to be there. They form a tunnel for you to run through [or walk through because you’re in a little bit of shock] and as you get to the end you basically have this realization that you’ve entered into a whole new world…. a world that is welcoming and ready for you. And [sadly] I think for a lot of people, when they step off their bus and experience this, it’s the first time that they’ve felt truly welcomed for anything. Then there’s skits, music, dancing, wrestling, and so much laughter. There’s conversations around a table 3 meals a day. There’s worship, there’s cabin time, there’s free time, and there’s community. Volunteers abound of all ages for all sorts of jobs. And they all come for their own personal reasons, but they are also all there to serve and try their very best to be a representation of Jesus to all the campers who come and go.
- Timber Wolf is safe. It’s a place set up for anyone to come to, however they are. It’s a place created for the broken can be real: where you can be exactly who you want to be. It’s a place where nobody knows about where you just came from, what your home life looks like, or what your reputation is. [And maybe if they think they know, they don’t really care.] It’s a place for the lost + seeking, and a place for the safe + sound. It’s a place that lets walls fall down and lets you finally take a deep breathe in of how sweet life can be. It’s a place where kids can be kids, and adults can be kids too! 😉
- Timber Wolf is Grace. [or the strong reminder of Grace.] This one hits home for me…Timber Wolf reminds me of the Grace that I’ve been freely given, and the Grace that I’ve [recently] fully received. At TWL I’m reminded that there is purpose to my story and redemption to my past. I’m pulled, stretched, exhausted, challenged, and used in ways I would never think possible. I’m quieted and humbled to remember that I need this grace not just while I’m there, but every single day. I’m reminded how much I need to hear what the speaker is talking about, how much I need to get away from the daily distractions back home, and how much I need Jesus 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
- Lastly…It’s impossible to wrap our minds around and imagine what heaven is going to be like someday. [When we’re full in His glory, away from pain, filled with joy, and ready for eternity] …but if I’m being honest, I think Timber Wolf is a little, tiny glimpse of Heaven + what it’s going to be like. 🙂
So, that’s just a part of what Timber Wolf is to me. And without starting another novel let me just end by saying this: Becoming a leader at Jenison High and being a part of the Young Life community is one of the greatest joys God has gifted me with. It is the best part of my journey so far, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes me. The week I got to spend this summer with some of my greatest friends at TWL is a week I will never forget.
Use this form below to have each new post from this blog delivered to your inbox, we’ll try to balance out the spam.
Enter your email address:
