July 19

One of the many things I love about Isaac is that he's open to challenges and experiences that might make him uncomfortable.

Like this morning when I took him to Granada High School to catch the bus to Young Life camp. He is, once again, the only student from his school attending, and I know he was nervous as the other kids milled around in their own social circles. But those nerves didn't stop him from smiling when he lined up by the bus shortly before departure. (And believe me, this is a small portion of the whole group. I just cropped it down so he'd be fully visible.) And they didn't stop him from boarding the bus and cheerfully texting our family group chat as he traveled toward camp.

I think that if we're being honest, we're all comfort-seekers to an extent. It is, after all, easier to stay in our bubbles with our familiar people and situations and routines. But as I've gotten older, I've become increasingly convinced that we don't really grow --or we don't grow nearly as much as God wants us to grow --when we don't take leaps of faith and stretch ourselves with new experiences. With people and places that throw us into a position of needing to rely on Jesus to get through.

I have no idea how he'll fare at camp --if he'll make any new friends or have any life-enriching experiences-- but I'm hopeful that he'll have a good time. And I'm grateful for the example he probably has no idea he's setting.