I just got back from my second YL Capernaum trip of the summer and yet again it was simply amazing. I was constantly fighting back tears as I watched and hung out with all my new friends. I have shared in a previous post about my first Capernaum experience so for this post I wanted to focus on one story from the week. I could go on and on but I will hold back but feel free to ask me more about it. I will gladly share.
But I wanted to share how my friend Alex did the ropes course. Now, Alex cannot walk very well, his legs don't allow him to have great balance or stamina. He uses a walker for short walks and is in a wheel chair for longer distances. At camp he stayed in his chair because we were always on the move. So when he got to the ropes course the intern suggested that we put him in a special seat that would allow him to be pulled through a couple obstacles. Alex would have nothing of that. So I vouched for him and the intern agreed to allow us to try to get him through the whole course on his own. Now Alex will try anything and he will never take the easy way out and I loved that about him. So we got him up on the course and I went right in front of him staying within a few feet of him. And he beasted the course. Now, I don't like ropes courses, but keeping my eye on Alex kept my thoughts off of the fact that we were 40 feet up. Alex was scared but never vocalized it but instead focused on every step. He fell, a lot, but he always got back up, sometimes with assistance and sometimes without. About halfway through the course he was exhausted and so was I from the support I had to provide. The summer staff in the trees were great, always helping and doing everything they could to get him through. He kept fighting. On the last obstacle he had a lot of difficulty and I was struggling to get him through it. I couldn't keep my balance and I was tired as well. but we got him through it and to the end where he took the giant swing down.
Alex never gave up, never complained, and he exerted every last bit of energy. And he did it all with a smile. He did this with everything at camp. But the ropes course is a special memory for me. Not only did I witness Alex do something that some people doubted he could do, I witness kids with severe physical disabilities hoisted up and pulled through. And I could only think of the story where four friends carry their friend who was paralyzed on a mat to a roof then hoist him down in front of Jesus. They did everything they could to see there friend get to Jesus, and on this ropes course we did everything we could to get our friends through. And our friends trusted us with their lives, they trusted that we would keep them safe just as the paralyzed man did in his friends. And I can only assume that the friends lives' were never the same after they saw what Jesus did to there friend and I know I will never be the same after seeing Jesus through my Friend Alex on that ropes course.
"Be comfortable being uncomfortable"
Love Y'all
Opher
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