Stings n' Storms
How can we change and control our attitude when stings and storms hit?
By Dusty Davis
“Owww, I’m hit!”
“Michael and John are hit… keep moving, NOW!”
I barked orders, like repeating the lines of a Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson movie. “Yellow jackets, run!”
Our camp climbing crew of seven fled up the rooty path. We regrouped on a slab of granite around the corner and out of the strike zone from our flying enemies. Breathing hard and pumped with adrenaline we did a casualty count… only two boys, two stings, non-allergic and we can save that valuable epi-pen for another day.
Pisgah National Forest was especially humid on this mid-July day and the morale of our normally aspiring climbers began to weaken.
“I got stung—come on man—you carry the rope”
“Can we just go extreme wading and then get Dolly’s?”
“Chicken wraps for lunch…again?”
By three o’clock a shroud of clouds rolled across the top of the Parkway eclipsing Looking Glass and our climbing plans. Classic pre-storm gusts, temperature drop and the smell of rain had us thrashing through our packs for rain jackets.
Our soaked and disheveled army trudged back to the trail head and to the big white van. We passed out some morale-boosting Teddy Grahams, put on a bluegrass playlist and buckled up to head back to the “The Creek.” Before the boys’ heads began to bobble with sleep, we began a trip debrief. The standard, “what did you like or not like,” questions soon gave way to a crucial code-cracking discussion.
“How can we change and control our attitude when stings and storms hit?” I asked.
A smallish voice from the back of the van piped up. “Maybe we should just get better cell service and a weather radar app that warns us before we get soaked.”
“Fair enough,” I said, “but don’t you guys think its part of the adventure to get caught in a mountain storm and taste fresh rain?” My gray-haired wisdom knew that the struggle made the sunshine sweeter.
“John, I noticed you didn’t make a big deal about getting stung—are you in anaphylactic shock or did it not hurt that much?”
“Nah, it stung bad, but really, I’m just thankful it was on my leg and I didn’t get more stings—like on my face,” he said with a laugh.
Thomas chimed in, “You sound like your gunning for the Positive Attitude Award.”
Trying not to sound preachy I added, “I’m liking that John. Seriously, you tapped into the gratitude attitude and shifted your focus to what you can be thankful for—that’s MEGA.”
It grew quiet in the van as bodies slumped and the boys succumbed to the cumulative exhaustion from our three-day excursion.
The van lumbered up Bob’s Creek Road and I pulled over to put in the gate code. A voice from the back said, “You know why I’m thankful?”
I was thinking, “Great! They are really getting this live with Gratitude Attitude.”
Then the voice from the back said, “I’m thankful because, I call first shower!”
Have a “MEGA” Thanksgiving from all of us at Falling Creek Camp. We are thankful to God for each one of you who make up our huge camp family. Our prayer is that this Thanksgiving would be a time that you can shift focus and be filled with gratitude even in the midst of the Stings n’ Storms of Life.
We invite you to leave a comment and share a story or something you are grateful for!
Every breath is a gift from God. —Acts 17:25