Dear Little One,
Your daddy and I can't wait to have you with us at Family Camp. You see, for the past ten years of our lives we've been in a constant state of flux. First it was off to college, then summers of working at camp, then two major moves across three states in our first six years of marriage. The one thing that has remained constant is Somerset Beach Camp. Kevin has been attending Southern Michigan's Free Methodist Family Camp since he was in utero; he's only missed a few in recent years. I became an SBC girl during my first summer of working there. I was a youth camp counselor in 2005, then I returned in 2007 on the housekeeping staff, and after your dad and I were married we lived on the grounds in 2010 while I worked in the office and he worked programming. Regardless of the number of employment years we've spent at Somerset, there's something about those dirt roads, the serene lake, the trusty buildings and the faithful people that whisper,"Welcome back. You're safe here."
This past week the Eccles family (well, the Kevin Eccles family) reserved their very own campsite for Family Camp. We were just around the corner from Mom and Dad Eccles and Grandma and Grandpa Arvidson. The week was spent rekindling old friendships, recounting wonderful memories, and retiring around the campfire. The days were shockingly cool given mid-July averages. I wore jeans and a sweatshirt most days, and donned socks each night in bed. (That's a major indicator of cold for me. I can never wear socks to bed.) I know a few people were very disappointed in the chillier temperatures, but your daddy and I were quite content. It was wonderful.
We slept past our alarms each morning and plodded to the bathhouse with mussy hair for all (of the other early risers) to see. Coffee perked as I made up the blankets on our air mattress, and bowls of cereal sufficed for breakfast. I spent lengthy times in solitude with God, craving the peace and freshness that His Spirit brings. The outdoors, the stillness of the morning, the sacred gathering of kindred spirits opened my heart to the words of the Lord.
Kevin was able to play tennis with his brother and go golfing with his dad, and I got to make many new friends at the Pastors' Wives lunch. We had ice cream at Freddie's Freeze with our dear friends Jeff and Ruth (Bradstreet) Tyson and played with their 5 month old, Jenna. Todd and Katrina Crouch showed up one afternoon and along with Kyle Anderson, your dad and I had a great time catching up with them. There were sweet conversations with dear friends such as the Andersons and the Wiards, the Lukes and the Rhodes, and so many others who have watched your dad (and me) grow up.
Evening worship was refreshing. There's something about having a group of people from across many different congregations coming together and singing praise to Jesus in one voice. The messages of the morning Bible Studies and marriage sessions contained threads of reminders I needed to hear. Your dad and I had lots of good conversations as we discussed our thoughts on the matters of Flag Page personalities and how they affect our marriage. And you know what? That's just a snippet of our week at Family Camp. Won't it be wonderful to have you along for the week? You'll love the kids worship each morning and the marshmallow roasting at night. I can't wait to have you with us to bring that added excitement and energy, watching as you look eagerly at the big kids playing four square and the families swimming in the lake. I'm fairly certain having you along will mean a lot more work and focused attention, but I still can't wait. I love knowing that we're going to be following in the steps of Grandpa Eccles who wrote in his recent autobiography,
I was saved at Family Camp. That caused me to plan to have my children attend Family Camp just as I had done as a child.Come quickly, Child.
Mama
Melanie Eccles is worship director at Monroe Free Methodist Church where her husband is pastor. She is pursuing pastoral ordination, and this fall she will begin her Master's in Spiritual Formation and Leadership through Spring Arbor University. She loves teaching Holy Yoga classes, forming community over coffee dates, going on early morning runs, and baking a few too many cookies. Kevin and Melanie have been married since May 2008 and have one daughter, Kirsten (December 2015).
