Golden Lake

“....You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking you as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all...”

A chorus of harmonious voices fills the room, echoing through the walls. A professional choir, in some grand Cathedral, in England, right?
Not quite.
Think more along the lines of 40 or 50 teens, sitting on the floor, in an old, run-down building known affectionately as, the “Craft Shack.” It’s certainly not England, try Golden Lake United Church Camp, in Eganville, Ontario.

It’s my first day here, and I’ll admit, I’m nervous. Will I be accepted? Or will everyone stay in their cliques, not wanting anyone new? I learn right away that I don’t need to be scared. If you want to come here, you have to leave your prejudices and judgement at the door.

It is like walking into a new world. A world where everyone is treated like an equal. Whether you are black or white, tall or short, thin or heavy, outgoing or shy, happy or lonely, it doesn’t matter. Everyone gets along with everyone else, there are no enemies. But, little did I know, as I walked into that room, that it was the first day of a week that would change my life forever.

I have so many memories of that week. Memories I will never forget. Memories of acting like a child, and not being embarrassed. Memories of sleeping under the stars, staring up at the sky in awe of it’s beauty. Memories of the songs we sang, making up harmonies. Memories of lying on my bunk in the dark, listening to my cabin-mates pray for loved ones. Memories of sitting with my new-found friends, listening to a bed-time story, and not thinking it was lame. Memories of sitting by the lake around a fire at night, discussing world issues. As if we were famous politicians, although we were only teens. Memories of games like “red-light, green-light” and “what time is it Mr.Wolf” which we thought we had outgrown. Memories of the friends I made, who came from every background imaginable. Memories of those who were straight-A students, die-hard Christians, and always cheerful. Memories of those who were on probation, questioning their beliefs, and rarely smiled. Memories of how no one saw a difference between those two classifications of people. Memories of how everyone treated them with love, without asking questions. Memories of people pouring out their souls, without fear of judgement. Memories of seeing a lonely boy smile, after finally finding a friend. Memories that will live on forever.

Understanding just how much you can change in a week, is almost impossible, if you have never experienced it. But I changed, I changed more than I thought possible.

I learned that what you see on the outside, may not be what’s on the inside. I learned that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. An age old saying, which was proved true. I now know that prejudice and judgement accomplish nothing but hatred and blame. Hatred and blame that is usually against someone who doesn’t deserve it. I realised through discussion with other teens and counsellors, that the one thing in this world that everyone needs, is love. Without it, we can’t survive. It is as important as food and water. I learned to have faith. That seeing isn’t always believing, and everyone is equal. That there is no better gift than your love for another person. No material gift can match that. I realised how much one smile can mean to a person who’s having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, a bad year. I learned that being a “good” Christian isn’t going to church every Sunday, or praying everyday. It is spreading your love to those who need it, and keeping faith. I learned how hard it is to say goodbye, to the people who you lived with 24/7 for a week.

I discovered who I was.

Before that week, I was just another person, no different from the rest. But now I realise that I am different, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. I learned that just because you make a mistake, doesn’t make you a bad person, bad people don’t really exist. Everyone is born innocent, some just make bad choices. The most important lesson I learned is to always be you, never be ashamed, and love unconditionally, because there is no greater gift, than a portion of thyself.

It is not possible to explain through writing what that week at Golden Lake did to me. But it changed me forever, and I know that it changed everyone else there that week as well. We had deep discussions, confessed our darkest secrets, and took risks. More people than we ever thought would know, now know our life-stories, yet somehow, we feel safer and more secure because they do. They support us, have nothing left to assume, and no reason to pass judgement, so I guess it makes sense that we feel safe. We have people to support us as we fight the battle called life, and I will never forget them.