A/N- It has been WAY too long. And I sincerely apologize. I really don't see how people can update almost every week! Summer was packed and my busy school's already started. I can't believe I wrote little portions and didn't ever finish it. It's almost done and over. Right now, I have a second and third camp chapter planned and an ending chapter, taking place after the Vespers. (Although this may be two chapters… If I get to them! Good grief, I'm sorry. Reviews do encourage me a lot if there's anybody still reading this. I hate to complain that I haven't gotten a review in the last three chapters when I have ninety reviews total! I mean, y'all are awesome for reviewing for the time this fanfic has been written. I do not own the 39 Clues or "Forgiveness" by Matthew West!
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Amy's POV
"Hi, everyone! Now that school is out, you know what that means! Summer camp! Teens, we really need your help with the younger kids during the day as they run all over the camp property. We have a sign-up sheet ready for those who have enough patience to help and a meeting tonight to talk about camp. You all can go ahead and split up into Sunday School classes. Good to see you all today!" Bro. Tom said.
I sighed. "Camp time again." I stood up and began to follow others out of the fellowship hall and into the classrooms.
"What do you do at camp?" Ian asked.
"Well, you play in a mud pit, shoot water balloons, do crafts, go down an inflatable slide, have Bible time and song time. If you're a counselor, you just help with that."
"Mud pit?"
"Did you hear anything I said after that?"
"Yes, but counselors don't have to do that, right?"
"Not necessarily. And you want to be a counselor?"
"Sure. I guess. As long as they don't put me in a gym with kindergardeners."
"I'm sure they won't do that with you. You're older, so they'll stick you with fifth and six grade boys probably. Same with me with the girls. Dan, however, will probably get the first and second graders. I can't believe he's old enough to be a counselor. He needs counseling." I laughed.
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So, sure enough, we arrived at our church Monday morning, start of the annual camp week. The church's parking lot was already full of cars and kids. Parents were signing their kids in at the table. A large bus waited to take us to our actual camp, about an hour away.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Natalie said to me. Mr. Fiske had already dropped us all off and we had all signed in and pushed our stuff into one of the camp trailers.
"It'll be fun! Tug-a-war in the mud, shooting arrows, swimming in the lake!" Dan looked ecstatic.
Natalie was horrified. "Are you serious?!"
I decided it was better to calm her down before she hid in the church to be left behind. "You can also do alternative activities, such as crafts, if you're not big on fishing or playing in the mud." She seemed to relax a little.
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How to summarize the first two days of camp? You simply can't. During the day, Natalie and I, like other teenaged councilors, worked with the younger kids. I thought they were precious, and Natalie eventually started to warm up to them too. Add mud, sweat, paint, sunscreen, singing, and Bible to the mix. During the evenings, when the kids went back to their cabins for their bed, the teens stayed up for a service and to play a game together. However, I remembered the third night's lesson fairly well, because it touched my heart. And Dan's, Ian's, and Natalie's.
Our youth pastor began, "For the past two nights, we've talked about salvation. And I hope all of you here are saved. And although we're not having another salvation message tonight, I want to talk about a word that's associated with it. Forgiveness. I enjoy using songs with my sermons, so I hope you listen closely to the lyrics of this song. Think of someone you really have a grudge against. And you may, in the world's view, have a rightful reason to hold that grudge. But, as Christ has forgiven you, I hope you'll forgive them." Matthew West's "Forgiveness" started to play on the small speakers.
It's the hardest thing to give away It's the opposite of how you feel
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don't deserve
When the pain they caused is just too real
It takes everything you have just to say the word...
I tried to forgive all people for whatever little thing they had done to me. There weren't any life changing instances that I held against people. I had forgiven most of the Cahills, as most had come together. At least sort of.
Except for Isabel. She had killed my parents, tortured me during the clue hunt, scarred Ian and Natalie… That woman didn't need any. I was still resentful to her inside. Forgiveness It flies in the face of all your pride Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Forgiveness
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying 'Set It Free'
Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Did that mean Isabel? After all she had done? But, maybe I had held it for too long. After all, I was dirty and undeserving and God forgave me. Show me how to love the unlovable Forgiveness, Forgiveness Help me now to do the impossible It'll clear the bitterness away
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness
It can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it's power can do
So, let it go and be amazed
By what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you
After all this time, I had not let go of that grudge. It still hurt. Would my parents still be alive today if she didn't kill them? I wouldn't have been to so many funerals. I wouldn't have spent so many miserable years with Aunt Beatrice. But what about Ian and Natalie? They now live with us, and our family had healed over time. Natalie and Ian were in a better position, and Natalie had trusted the Lord. Maybe, God still had a plan despite all that what happened. And maybe, it was time to let that hatred against Isabel go. Forgiveness, Forgiveness Show me how to love the unlovable I want to finally set it free
Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness
So show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me
Forgiveness, Forgiveness
He had given it to me when I was filthy and undeserving. Maybe, when I learn to forgive others all together, I'll be an example. It's almost a crazy idea, but maybe I should start praying for her. She needs help. When I learn to love and reach out, I'll become more of who God wants me to be.
My youth pastor continued to preach and the idea was further put into my head.
Natalie walked out together, rather silently, and headed back to the cabin, where many were getting ready for a late night snack in the camp's cafeteria. We sat down on our bunk beds, both opposite to each other, putting our Bibles away.
"Amy?" Natalie asked.
"Hum?"
"I thought of Isabel and Vikram tonight. To forgive them."
I nodded. "I did too."
She looked as if she held back tears. "You know, if I were to die young, I don't want to die with grudges. It's almost un-Lucian to forgive people. And it's hard for me, especially when part of me doesn't want to forgive them. But part of me says it's been too long."
I nodded. "It was hard for me to decide to give that up too. I don't have parents because of Isabel. But same here, I feel as though I should. How about we do it together? We both work on forgiving them and praying for them." She nodded. I felt very close to Natalie, as we both were hurt deeply by the same person. But we also decided to forgive the person or people that hurt us the most. It was completely Un-Cahill, to forgive, when Cahills were known for 500 years of grudges. But yet, with God, we found it easier to let go.