On the third day of camp we went on “The Great Adventure,” which was a renowned camp activity. In short, the camp van drove our group just over a mile off of camp property and dropped us off with canteens, one compass and the hope that you would get back before dark. It was then our goal to head due north through a dense forest with no trails in order to get back to camp. It was a lesson in orienteering and teamwork.
Each camper took turns in front, holding the compass and forging the way through thorns, tangled vines and twisted trees. We were about halfway back to camp when the Brandon, the camper who was leading the pack, stepped on an underground beehive. A swarm of bees shot out of the ground, angered and ready to kill the perpetrator. We were all terrified, and took off running in all directions hoping to get to safety. But as I ran, I glanced over my shoulder and saw a scene I will never forget.
Sarah, my camp counselor, pushed Brandon quickly off of the nest and instructed him to run. But instead of running herself, she stepped into the place where he had been standing. The bees stung Sarah rather than chasing after Brandon or any one of us. Since the bees found their victim close by, we were given time to escape. Only 2 campers got stung, one time a piece. Sarah stayed there until we had all gotten far enough away, and then stumbled to the nearest clearing. We later found out that she had been stung 38 times.
Falling to the ground, Sarah’s eyes rolled back in her head and we immediately started putting together an emergency plan. Luckily, we found a house nearby that had a phone which we could use. Within an hour, Sarah was in the hospital and our group was back at camp. She would return to our group after a night in the hospital, and we would forever remember her as the person who saved us from bee stings.
I am sure this is still a story that Sarah tells around kitchen tables and at cocktail parties, but I don’t think she knows how important this moment was in my faith. This is when I first saw Jesus present on earth – when selflessness was personified, and sacrifice embodied. When I think of Jesus headed to the cross, I cannot get the image out of my head of my camp counselor who stood on a bee hive just so we could escape. I hope one day that somebody can say a similar thing when they glance over their shoulder and get glimpses of the way I live my life.
