When I was twelve years old, I went to Camp Pamadeva in
Hanover, Pennsylvania. Pamadeva is an acronym for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The camp is is still in existence and is known
as Penngrove Retreat. We had a list of
what to bring and what NOT to bring. I
didn’t realize it, but one item was essential: the flashlight. The camp was a beautiful setting in the
daylight hours with huge old trees everywhere, but at night, it was a
terror. I couldn’t go anywhere in the
dark without tripping on a tree root!
Hence the importance of the flashlight.
Most campers preferred the nickname, Camp Root! I enjoyed the preaching, the singing, and the
games, but when walking at night, I had to concentrate on the ground with
flashlight one step ahead. Otherwise I
would be sure to stumble and fall. Hey,
there are dangers in life as well.
Dangers that we cannot see because they are shrouded in the future. But, make no mistake, they are there, just
lurking ahead in the darkness of tomorrow.
David said in Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path.” God’s Word will dispel
the darkness of the future and give us the direction that we need. Read it the Bible. Study it.
It will expose the roots of stumbling that lurk in your future, and the
Bible will take you safely to your eternal home on high. You can count on it!
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ReplyDeleteMr. Whitely, this was beautiful. I am 39 yrs old and when I was in the 9th grade I attended private school in PG County, Md. I played on the school's soccer team and we attended a tournament that was hosted at Pamadeva. There were several other private schools from the surrounding area in attendance. My school actually went on to place 1st in the tournament and I experienced my first championship. That trip to Pamadeva is one of the fondest memories I have of my youth. There are mornings (such as this one) where I awake and go outside and enjoy the fresh crisp morning, the gentle breeze, the birds singing their praise to the creator, and I am reminded of how peaceful those 2 morning walks through the woods at Pamadeva were. It's that such memory that lead me to do a google search and see if Pamadeva is still around. That lead me to your blog. Your grandchildren are so blessed and fortunate to have you to share your wonderful anecdotes and your profound wisdom with them. I thank God for allowing me to come across this blog post as it was most refreshing. May the Lord bless you and keep you and your family. Be well Sir.
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