Like the White Rabbit, I’m running late, but I have an excellent alibi. For those who watch for my blog regularly on Mondays and Fridays, I’ll explain. I’m just back from joining our associate pastor as a chaperone for PassportKids church camp with five grade school girls.
Folk wisdom sometimes says getting there is half the fun. Well, maybe. We had three Google maps that couldn’t agree on the route, one cell phone taking us to an obviously wrong place, advice when we stopped at Subway for lunch leaving out pertinent details from another group leader who had been there eight times. Finally, a different cell phone loaded with a bit more information got us to a beautiful mountain location for camp. Even our lostness was not wasted. It provided fodder for discussions with our campers on the theme for the week – Follow the Road.
Glimpses of the week include:
• A camper with a Care package awaiting her arrival turning cries of envy into companionship as she said, “Oh, I’m going to share.” She quickly began to pass out finger flashlights. Her mom had thoughtfully packed enough for the others in her group.
• Being a bit lost, like the kids, without my computer. They had been told to leave electronics behind, and adults followed suit with the exception of cell phones just in case we needed to be in touch with each other or the girls’ parents.
• Sharing my scarce time alone (only because I get up about five o’clock) with a jogger and a horsefly.
• Girls who remembered the rule not to go into the cabin without an adult even when the chaperone forgot.
• Kids in a rap drama during worship that concluded,
“If you can love the God you call,
Then you can love your neighbor, y’all.”
• Rounding up five girls to go to the next appointed place becoming a guessing game about which one needed to go back for a towel, pencil and paper, or their Passport Guide. 
• Being last in line for almost every meal – see previous entry.
• Five girls who were barely more than strangers when we set out who are now friends that I miss this morning.
So there you have my alibi. I think you will agree that it’s a good one. I plan to be back on schedule by Friday.