Hey, Carpool Crew, it's Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you joined us for this bonus episode of Carpooling with Jesus. Today's episode is part of our series, What Should I Do If..., where we talk about real situations you might face, and today we're talking about a situation you might face at camp. We're talking about something that a lot of you are going to feel this summer. What should I do if I'm at camp, or at a sleepover, or staying at my grandparents', and I start missing home? Now, you've waited all year for camp, or you've been looking forward to staying at your grandparents'. You packed your bag. I remember the first time my son Canon went to stay at Grandma and Papa's. He packed up his stuff. I went into his room to make sure he had everything. He was very young, and he said, "See you later, Dad," as he walked out of his room. He was a big kid. And guess what? He had so much fun. Now, maybe your mom or dad helped label everything for camp, all your t-shirts and your flashlight and your socks. You hugged your dog goodbye, and the first day at camp was awesome. Made some new friends, had some cool free time, a bonfire, s'mores. You go to bed feeling like the coolest kid alive. You can't believe you get to do this. Then the lights go out. The cabin gets quiet. Maybe you hear the kid in the bunk above you breathing or snoring. Maybe you hear some animals outside. And you start thinking about your bed at home, your pillow, your room, your mom and dad, your little brother or sister, even the dog. And out of nowhere, your eyes start to sting a little, and your stomach feels a little weird. You feel a lump in your throat the size of a baseball. That's homesickness, friends. And it's okay. If you've ever felt it, you are not alone. You're not babyish. You are not the only one. You're a kid. And guess what? God made you exactly the way you are on purpose. You don't deserve to feel that way, by the way. Homesickness, it's not your fault that you miss your family, and you're not alone in that, because guess what? I bet your family loves and misses you, too. So let's talk about it for a second. What is homesickness? Homesickness is the feeling that hits when you're away from the people and the places where you feel most safe. It can hit at camp. It can hit at a sleepover. It can hit at grandma's house, even though Grandma is amazing and gives you ice cream for breakfast. It can hit any time you're somewhere that just isn't the regular, normal place. It usually sneaks up at three times: bedtime, mealtime, and quiet time. Bedtime, because that's when your house used to feel the most like home. Mealtime, because food and family always go together, and you kind of know what your parents make you for dinner. Like, you can predict the meals that are coming. You know what your mom or dad's cooking tastes like. You know the restaurants you go to often. New food can sometimes trigger a little bit of homesickness. And quiet time, because your brain finally has room to think about how much you miss everyone. Now, here's the trick. Most kids think the answer is to push the feeling away. Be tough. Don't think about home. Don't think about anything other than right now, and pretend you're fine. Guess what? That doesn't work. That feeling gets louder. So let's talk about what God says about it. Today's verse is from Psalm 56, verse 3. It says, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." It's just one short sentence. Read it again with me. "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." I want you to notice a couple things. One, it says, "when," not "if." The Bible knows you'll be afraid sometimes. Even kids who follow Jesus get scared. Even adults who follow Jesus get scared, by the way. Fear is not a problem with your faith. Fear is just part of being human. Two, it doesn't say, "I will pretend I'm not afraid." It doesn't say, "I will be tough." It says, "I will trust." Trust is not the same as not feeling. Trust is choosing what to do with your feelings. I feel like I'm going to trust God. And number three, "in you." Those words matter a lot. See, the verse doesn't say, "Trust in your phone, or mom and dad's phone. Trust in your Xbox or PlayStation or the family dog. Trust in your camp counselor. Trust that you're going home in three days, so don't worry about it." It says, "Trust in God." Because the One who actually is with you in your bunk, and at the kitchen, and at your cabin, and every car ride, and every bedroom, and every camp, is God. So why wouldn't we want Him to be with us? You know, listen to this one, from Psalm 139, verses 7 and 8. The kid who wrote this asked God a question: "Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you're there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there." So what does that mean? It means wherever you go, whatever bunk you're in, whatever cabin, whatever sleeping bag, God is already there. He didn't stay home with your parents. He didn't stay on His own vacation or go to His own camp. He's there with you at your camp. And one more thing. Deuteronomy chapter 31, verse 6 says this: "Be strong and courageous. Don't be terrified or afraid, for the Lord your God is the one who will go with you. He will not leave you or abandon you." Wow, that's a great promise. He will not leave you. He will not abandon you. So let me tell you about a kid in the Bible who got hit with the biggest case of homesickness anyone has ever had. His name was Daniel. Daniel was a young person. Some scholars think he was around 14 years old. He wasn't at camp for one week. He wasn't at a sleepover for one night. He got taken away from his family and his country and brought all the way to a city called Babylon. See, he didn't know when, or if, he was ever coming home again. If you ever feel like one week at camp is hard, imagine being Daniel. Different food, different language, different bed, no mom or dad, no siblings, no idea when any of this would end. But here's what Daniel did. Daniel chose to keep talking to God. Daniel chapter 6, verse 10 tells us Daniel went into his room three times a day, got down on his knees by his open window, and prayed and gave thanks to God, just like he'd always done. Three times a day, open window, praying. In a place that wasn't home, Daniel kept his connection to God open like a phone line that never hangs up. And God walked with him through every weird meal, through every odd noise at night, through every single day, all the way to the end of the story. See, if God walked with Daniel that far from home, do you think He can walk with you at camp? Yes, He can. So here's the choice when homesickness hits. The first path is the one most kids take. You bottle it up. You don't tell anyone. You hide under your blanket. You count down the hours. You feel worse and worse, and by the morning, your eyes hurt, your heart is heavy, and you can't even eat breakfast. One time when I was at camp, I had homesickness. I missed my mom so much. So when everyone got up in the morning, I stayed quiet. I stayed in my sleeping bag. I didn't move. I just stayed there. Everyone else got up to go take showers, because, honestly, camp can be smelly. I didn't move. I didn't make a noise. I just stayed in my sleeping bag. Now, eventually, I had to get out, and guess what? I was crying. I was really sad. I also smelled terrible. No one wanted to be near me until I cleaned up. And I finally told my counselor how I was feeling, and they listened, and they prayed with me, and they encouraged me. See, the second path is the one that Jesus invites us to, where you take that feeling, and you bring it to Him right when it hits. Now, both paths are real. Both happen. The first one is easier in the moment, because you don't have to do anything. But the second one is the one that actually helps. So what should you do if homesickness hits at camp this summer? Well, here are a couple steps. First, name it. Don't push it down. Don't pretend. Just say it, even if it's just to yourself or to God in your head, "I'm missing home right now." Naming a feeling makes it smaller. Hiding from a feeling makes it bigger. Just try saying, "God, I'm feeling homesick right now." Second, take it to God right in the moment. Don't wait until you get home. Don't wait until next Sunday at church. The second you feel it, talk to God. In your bunk, on the trail, at the lunch table, with your counselor, while you're brushing your teeth, just pray, "God, I miss my family. Will you be with me right now?" And number three, tell a trusted adult at camp. Okay? You're not weak for telling your camp counselor. You're smart, you're strong, you're brave. It takes bravery to share your feelings. And counselors and camp leaders, they are there for this exact reason. They can help you. They want to help you, and they've probably heard it a million times before, so they know how to help you and how to encourage you. Just go up to your counselor and try something like this: "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute? I've been feeling homesick, and I just wanted you to know." That's all it takes. Now, parents, real quick. If you're listening to this with your kid before camp drop-off, or you're prepping your kid for their first sleepover, tell them one of your stories. Tell them one of your homesick stories. It will encourage them, trust me, because they will know that they're not alone. Say a prayer over them before they go, because they're about to have a lot of fun. Okay, Carpool Crew, here is a quick recap. If homesickness hits: first, name it. Number two, take it to God right in the moment. And number three, tell a trusted adult at camp. Here's the one thing I want you to remember: homesickness is real. The answer is to not push it away. The answer is to talk to God. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you enjoyed this episode, first of all, thanks for subscribing. Maybe send it to another parent. Encourage them: "Hey, you should subscribe. Check out this episode. I think you're going to like it." And before you go, here's something to talk about together. When was a time you felt far from home, and what helped you feel close to God in that moment? Thanks for riding along with me on this bonus episode, and I can't wait to see you again on another episode of Carpooling with Jesus.
