RFKC Part Two – Building Trust?
I shared yesterday about my opportunity to be involved at Royal Family Kids Camp this year. If you missed it, go back and check it out.
Around the middle of the week I was sent up to help out in a cabin as a relief counselor while the regular counselors took their break. When I arrived I found out that one of the campers would not stay in his bed on the top bunk. He wanted to get down and go to find his counselor. He refused to say a word to us.
I shared the job of keeping him in his bed for close to an hour. Standing on a chair, holding his arm and the bottom of his feet as he tried to get down. Let me tell you, he was not happy with me at all! Pushed me away. Swatted at me. Wouldn't talk. But we kept talking to him. We promised him that his counselor would be back and that we would stay till he did. My heart broke as I watched the kid, and I also knew he was gonna end up hating the Bible teacher guy, which would do wonders for his view of God.
After his counselor got back, we were able to identify one of his concerns and talk him into going to sleep. Then came breakfast the next morning, and I was amazed. He kept coming over to me and playing with me and smiling at me more than he had all week long. Was this the same kid? Had he forgotten?
I thought back to our training. I thought about the time we spent talking about the ways that the kids would even test us at times. Considering their pasts, it was just something that happened. Something tells me that somewhat unpleasant interaction had actually built trust between us. I promised I would stay, and I did, even when I saw him at his worst. i didn't decide to give up like perhaps someone else in his life had. His counselor came back too, just like we all said he would.
It's amazing to me to think that an interaction like this, could in such a strange way, create relationship between us. It was amazing that this could actually influence him in a positive way. The next day I discovered that this kid had a beautiful smile. And he probably became one of my favorite kids there.
