Once a year (or thereabout), a group of my friends gets together and camps near Grandfather Mountain – it’s the “man” trip. We have some established traditions: Ben’s chilli, sitting around the camp fire late, the calzone at “the” Italian restaurant, and hiking just to name a few. Despite the fact that we tend to follow the same road map for every camping trip, each one has its own unique feel.
The last few weeks for me have been stressful. I have been planning for Sunday school, working hard at my job, and researching topics in Old Testament to put together a thesis for my degree. I needed the break, and the camping trip came at the right time. What I like most about the trip is the guys I spend it with. All of them have contributed to forming me as an individual. They all challenge me to be someone better than I am currently. We don’t always have the deepest conversations but spending time with them is refreshing. This time is no exception. I’m physically exhausted, but mentally and spiritually refreshed.
As I reflect on the weekend, I’m struck by the value of community. Community is the place where we encourage and refresh each other. Community is the context in which we can grow in ways individualism cannot provide; it is God’s gift to us. This trip is worthy of the time investment. I treasure the time I spend with my closest friends and am thankful that they too invest their time in coming to the mountains for this annual trip. Thank you, Grace for loaning me out for a couple of days. Thank you Ben, Scott, Jeremy, Jacob, Greg, and Aaron for your friendship. I enjoyed this weekend and am looking forward to next time.
nathanielcooley 
“like” (except, I can’t, because I’m not a wordpress user…) Glad you had fun!