Dear Campers...

Once again, I apologize for a post that is unrelated to my directing endeavors. I wrote this letter for my high school campers a few weeks ago. It was read aloud so I'm sure I live edited it, but I was  asked to share it. I thought this would be the easiest way to do so. 

It's unedited and imperfect, but I love the teens I wrote it for and I hope it serves them well. #welikecamp

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Campers, 

In case you didn't know, it's summer outside. And, as I've reflected on what I want to share with you in this precious time, this sliver of opportunity to hopefully make the tiniest impact on at least one of the one hundred of you listening to me read this, it's my prayer that at least one of these metaphors will resonate with you. And, that God will work in your heart, despite my odd writing style that spans from Perks of Being a Wallflower to Shel Silverstein and just a touch of Jon Jorgenson spoken word. 

All of us, all of you, we're in different seasons of life despite it being 95 degrees outside. Some of you are starting high school. Some of you are starting to drive. Maybe this is a new season for your friend group, your family, or your church. Maybe you're in a season of peace for the first time in a long time, or maybe this season, quite frankly... sucks. I could try and unpack the literal thousands of seasons high schoolers walk through in this letter, but that would take the whole week and even then I'd surely miss some. So, instead, I've decided to go with four. Because if four was good enough for God, it is good enough for me. 

What season do you find yourselves in, friends? Winter? Spring? Summer? Fall? 

If it's Fall and you have a mess in your yard, my suggestion is this- rake up those leaves and play in the pile! And, if it's cold, put on a hoodie and get back out there! 

If this is your emotional summer, grab a swim suit and jump in the pool. Enjoy the sun with others and remind one another it's BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE! Invite them to put on their suit and come on in cuz the water isn't just FINE, it's INCREDIBLE! In the summertime, protect yourself daily because I can promise you this, if you skip your son screen, you're going to bed with a sinburn. But y'all, God's grace is better than aloe vera and while it takes humility to admit it when you've been burned, once you do and you accept the treatment, guys, it's soothing. And remember, if it's peeling, it's healing and that's gross but it's cool and when you're ready, get back in the pool!

When it's winter and it's cold and the pain's getting old, you know what I say? I say "it's OKAY!" Like little Peggy Ann McKay, it's alright to stay inside for a day and it's okay to wish the snow away and it's okay to stop and cry out for some sunshine cuz you're tired of tryin' and you're tired of lyin' whenever you say that you're okay cuz you're not okay, not today. But please, campers, don't wish that day away. 

Stop. Pray. Ask for help. If you don't know how to make a fire, SOMEONE DOES and SOMEONE WANTS TO HELP YOU MAKE ONE TOO. And while the voices of the world tell us to push away the people who aren't afraid to get some ash on their clothes for us, don't listen to those voices. Ya'll, the world tells us the second we let somebody stay longer than we absolutely HAVE to have them help us, we've become as fragile as those snowflakes outside. But guys, LOOK AT WHAT A MULTITUDE OF THOSE SNOWFLAKES CAN DO! Snowpocalypse. Snowmageddon. SNOW DAYS! SCHOOL IS CANCELLED. That's the power of the church, friends. It's a group of seemingly fragile and yet pristinely unique, one of a kind, hand-crafted-by-a-creator-God, works of art and together, they make a masterpiece. 

My slightly selfish prayer is that this is your Spring. I pray you find yourself comfortable, new, refreshed, and brimming with possibilities. I pray your emotional temperature is at a breezy 71 degrees and whatever you dress yourself in every morning, be it a simple prayer with breakfast, or your bible and your journal, or a run with your favorite pastor preaching truth through your genuine apple earbuds, whatever it is, I pray it'll do just fine all day long. 

But if not, know that here, you are loved. By us and CERTAINLY by God. No matter how ugly or beautiful your season, you're not alone and we are HONORED to share in it with you this week. 

With a good deal of love, 

Matthew Silar