God made dirt...

... and dirt don't hurt.

As I think about my camp experience and what made it so memorable for me, I'm realizing that, for once in my life, I employed the "use it or lose it" strategy. A lot of times, I don't like to use things that I have because I am afraid that I will get them dirty. So instead, they sit clean and pristine on some shelf... never actually being used for their intended purpose, just looking pretty. Eventually, these things get to the point that even keeping them is pointless because I don't do anything with them and finally decide to get rid of them. That's how I started the week out at camp... with everything from sleeping bag and teddy bear to hair and face all neat, clean, and well kept. It wasn't long before I realized that although I was keeping myself and my things clean, I was missing out on a lot - fun, getting to know my girls, being available for what God wanted to teach me, etc. By the 2nd day, I gave up on the make-up, ignored my bed-head hair, and was willing to drag that sleeping bag and beloved teddy bear up treehouses and down to the Serengetti field for movie night. I used those things and forgot all about myself looking clean in the process. I even almost forgot about showers. (But just almost .) Anyways, I "Let Go" of cleanliness and found out something I never realized before... dirt is something that can be washed off! (Oh, the things my mother always told me, but I never believed...) I also found out that missing out on fun for the sake of staying clean denies memories and times that can never be regained. Getting dirty, I realized, was worth it - especially when it allowed me to get right in the thick of things with the girls who would appreciate it most.

So maybe... dirtiness actually CAN be next to Godliness.

Who knew that getting dirty could be fun? (That's a rhetorical question. AKA, if you're a boy, don't answer that.)