As I've been going about this summer job, I've been praying that God will use me as a good example to those around me who are not Christians. Sometimes, I feel like I am being one . . . and sometimes not so much.
Example of a good example: The other day one of my co-counselors and I were sitting by the playground watching the boys on the playscape. We could see the tumbling shed on the other side of the playscape and a group of girls was up there doing a dance to a song that really made no sense to me. I think it was "Jump on it" or something like that. I mentioned that I really didn't get the point of it and he asked me how I had never done it before at a wedding or something. I told him I had never danced at a wedding and he just couldn't believe it. I then proceeded to point out that I had grown up and never gone to a dance because we didn't dance in my house. Yes, I participated in dance parties with friends where we just goofed off to whatever music was playing, but I never went somewhere where they were actually dancing except for prom, which wasn't fun. Anyway, that led to a discussion of the fact that I was a preacher's daughter and a Christian and he said something about reading the Bible and I mentioned I read it every morning. Then, he asked if I prefered Old Testament or New. I told him it depended on my mood, but without the Old Testament, we wouldn't have stories like Ehud, which he had never heard so I told him about it. I think I impressed him with how much I knew of various stories in the Bible as we talked about it a little longer.
Example of a not so good example: Yesterday we were sitting by the pool while the lifeguards gave our kids their swim lessons. Another of my co-counselors was talking about her boyfriend's five-year-old niece and some of the things she says. Evidently, she has a dirty mouth because she mentioned several bad words the child had said and laughed about how kids pick up things. And I didn't say anything about how sad I found that story even though the other counselors were laughing at it. It really bothers me that they think it's funny a three-to-five-year-old can use such language. I don't even find it okay when someone the counselors' ages use it, but I don't say anything. I just shake my head and go on with life. I can't just wait for openings like I had the other day with actual talking about the Bible. I need to step up more and let them know their language offends me and I would hope any future children I might send to a camp wouldn't pick up certain words or phrases from their counselors (even though we supposedly aren't supposed to use it around the kids -- as my husband says, little pitchers have big ears).
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