Picnic Day

“As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night."
Genesis 8:22 New Living Translation

Summertime

It is 9:55 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, 2005, as I sit to write this little devotional, and though it is cloudy outside, it is still quite light – a sign that it is summertime in Edmonton. There are other signs – green leaves, flowers in bloom, etc. But there are signs that are missing, too – like warmth!

We bundled up in sweaters, and some of us even wore gloves, as we headed out to Birch Bay Ranch in Sherwood Park, Alberta, for Central Tabernacle’s annual picnic. I rode out on the bus arranged for the seniors at Central, and had talked one of my friends, Larynda, into riding with us as well. There were only 13 of us on the bus – most who signed up did not show. Our bus driver’s name was Vanessa and she a young daughter with her as well – I would guess 6 years old or so. They agreed to participate in the picnic activities and the barbeque as well.

I foolishly did not bring a jacket and wore shoes requiring no socks, so I was a bit cold until Kathy Fowler kindly loaned me her jacket. Within minutes of that, a young girl, Mackenzie Morton, made the mistake of handing me a kitten. It was a mistake, because I had a problem handing it back to anyone including the lovely young girl who was nice enough to give it to me. My maturity level goes right down to age 2 or so when it comes to kittens. I can’t seem to share – I am pathetic and a terrible example of Christian behavior in this regard – at least today I was.

This one was special for sure; a little gray tabby, with some beautiful patches of white fur – his little kitten eyes are beautifully lined with black, which makes him a very striking kitten. He is soft and when I held him, he went right to sleep. I put him inside my borrowed jacket and the warmth lulled him into a stupor immediately. He slept in positions that amused everyone who saw him, and at one point when I woke him, he screeched and curled right up again. Oh, did I feel attached to this little bloke. Luckily, he has an owner already.

Patty Hertzog kindly set up a chair for me so I could sit and continue to hold the kitten (I think she was kind of in love with him, too) as we watched the couples events. We watched as 10 couples each first ate 3 piece of licorice from each end so they ended up in a kiss, then attempted while blindfolded to choose in correct order the letters to spell “I LOVE U”, together pick up a canoe and carry it a fair distance, with a water gun shoot the cup off of their partners’ head, and finally carry their partner across the finish line. The creative ways some husbands chose to carry their wives was very entertaining for sure.

I headed in for dinner after I found the kitten’s mother (i.e., owner) and she took him to his home so he wouldn’t get overhandled!

Oh, the salads! We had salads galore this year, and they were exceptionally good, I must say. This church knows how to cook for sure, and my body can attest to that fact with its very appearance. I had potato salad, a couple of macaroni salads, a white onion salad (perhaps), bean salad, an Asian salad of some sort, and fruit salad….along with the requisite hot dog. Yum.

Then came the dessert auction to raise funds for the youth missions’ trip to inner city Los Angeles. Dave Schroeder acts as auctioneer at this event and he has a talent for raising funds for sure. He makes it funny, fun and an all around great experience to give to the mission team. And just about everyone who purchases a dessert, passes it around to the entire group to be consumed! I tasted some fabulous desserts to be sure, but one in particular stands out in my mind – Brianna Vaxvick made some Smores that were out-of-this-world-fantastic! Soda Crackers soaked in a butter and brown sugar mixture and topped with chocolate. The butter and brown sugar ends up caramelized on one side of the cracker and the chocolate coats the other side – a simple, yet simply divine dessert.

Then we climbed back in the bus for the ride home. Everyone had experienced a good time at the picnic, including Vanessa and her daughter, who rode the zipline and had a horse ride, as well as dinner! When I asked Vanessa’s daughter how she liked the activities she participated in, she could hardly stop talking about it, she was so excited.

That was hardly a surprise to me, though, as I was excited the very first time I visited Birch Bay Ranch. Birch Bay Ranch is a camp for youth to experience the outdoors with other kids their age and hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Run by Darryl and Sharon Fraess, it is a safe environment for kids to interact with one another and also for young leaders to work at the camp under excellent supervision and participate in something unforgettable and rewarding.

When I am at Birch Bay Ranch, I get the impression it is healthy – the fresh air is healthy, the mission is healthy, the leaders are healthy – physically and spiritually – the whole atmosphere is one of health and strength. Whether you are a senior riding the bus to our picnic, a couple participating in the contest, a youth who attends the camp, a young adult hanging with your friends, or like me a single not-so-young adult, there is something for you at Birch Bay Ranch.

So, although it might feel a little chilly here in Edmonton in the summertime, there is plenty of warmth available to be experienced by anyone attending our events, including our summer picnic at Birch Bay Ranch.

Thank you, Lord for a great summertime day at Birch Bay Ranch. Thank you for good friends who watch out for me. Thank you for kittens. Thank you for providing for our seniors and other groups who need assistance. Thank you for providing for our missions’ team through the dessert auction. Thank you, Lord.

I can hardly wait until next summer.