Putting things in Perspective

I'm back from a weekend of camping and mountain biking with the Scouts. Terrific experience. We camped at a National Forest Service site between Lake Ocoee and the slopes of Chilhowee Mountain, about 45 minutes drive north of Chattanooga Tennessee. On Chilhowee Mountain, there is a network of about 26 miles of mountain bike trails with varying levels of difficulty and kept in outstanding condition by what has got to be some very hard working volunteers from the Chattanooga Bike Club. The views were gorgeous.

On Sunday mornings, the Scouts customarily do a non-denominational chapel service, the sort of thing that can't be offensive to anybody except a hard-line atheist with a very thin skin. The adult leaders leave it to the boys, and pray like crazy that nobody gets too sacrilegious in their presentation.

My thirteen-year-old son led the service and shocked me by giving everyone some food for thought. He held up a dime he had found that morning and asked what it was and what was written on it. He pointed-out the phrase "In God we Trust" and reminded us that even though many people either ignore that motto or wish it wasn't there; it had been placed on all our currency none-the-less. Then he noted that whatever else that motto might mean, it reminded him of where the money really comes from. My kid proceeded to remind us all that our wealth here in the U.S. and, indeed, all good things come from the Lord and that we, in turn, need to dedicate all things that we do to His name.

That alone, coming from my son, made the camping trip worth it.