Bring the Hype!

My daughter spent last week as a cabin leader at camp. When she first got there she and one of her co-cabin leaders discussed the need for them to “bring the hype” as she put it. In other words, put energy in to every activity with the girls in their cabin. The way this worked itself out was that my daughter was helping with the fishing during free time. She is passionate about fishing as it was an activity she REALLY enjoyed as a camper and she has developed a close relationship with the man who comes up to camp every summer to teach the younger campers how to fish and he also teaches spiritual lessons at the same time. So she “hyped” her whole cabin up to go fishing with her - early in the mornings! And as a result, their cabin caught the most fish during the week. Also, there was an activity planned that none of the girls felt like doing. Even the cabin leaders were tired and didn’t feel like putting energy into it. But my daughter and her co-cabin leader infused their campers with energy by encouraging them and by cheering them on and they were the only ones doing so. The activity was a tug of war and their cabin had some of the smallest girls at camp. As a result of their encouragement, their cabin came in second place, beating 6 other cabins. And when it was time for the leaders to compete, their cabin of girls were the only cabin cheering their leaders on. What my daughter understood at the beginning of camp was that all her best camp experiences were when her cabin leaders were energetic and “brought the hype.” She would get terribly homesick at camp and having cabin leaders who were low energy and who didn’t put effort into activities or spending quality time with their campers made her homesickness all the more acute. Keeping the kids active and engaged keeps their minds occupied and it energizes them. Knowing their leaders care about them and their camp experience opens the campers’ hearts to the gospel. My daughter was letting the love of Christ flow through her and that is the reason for a Bible camp - to show the love of Christ to kids who come from a variety of backgrounds and love them in a way that draws them to Christ. We all should “bring the hype” as often as possible!

And believers need to be infused with energy too. The world can really beat a person down and life can be very fatiguing so it is vital that we “bring the hype” to fellow believers whenever we are able. The way that might look could be sitting down next to an older believer who can’t walk around and mingle on a Sunday morning but who might be discouraged and need a little social interaction. Or complimenting a little girl on her pretty dress or thanking someone for a kind gesture. One of the best ways I have found is to send a note of encouragement in the mail. People love getting mail that isn’t a bill or an advertisement. And a surprise note of encouragement can make a person’s week. Encouragement is contagious.

I want to experiment with something. Will you join me? I want to start a “sunshine club” but keep it a secret. Would you be willing to write a note of encouragement to someone at your church, in your neighborhood or even in your own family once a month? Pick someone different each month. Just a quick note letting them know you are thinking about them. We have a directory of the people who attend our church. Maybe send a birthday card in the mail, or a get well note to someone recovering from an illness or surgery. I guarantee it will cause your own spirits to lift and you will lift the spirits of others. Help me “bring the hype” to a very weary population. 😃