The Song

For the last 10 years I have been involved with an organization called Royal Family Kids’ Camps. They provide camps for abused, abandoned and neglected children usually in the care of the state foster care system. These children understand more fully what it is like to not have anyone they can depend on, as most everyone in their lives are paid to be there. The ratio is two campers to one counselor so they have that close time so many of them lack.

I had met Catherine at camp two years earlier when she was my buddy counselor’s camper. She broke my heart that year when she was packing her stuff up and was trying leave mementos behind at the camp that she would get “next time”. I had to explain to her that the camp was used by more than just us and she would need to take everything with her. She was crushed. That year when I found out I was to be her counselor, I was excited. My second camper was unable to come, so it was one on one time with her for the whole week.

Practically from the time she got off the bus she started telling me that she wanted to sing in the Variety Show on Thursday night and then would burst into the song. “I am a sheep and the Lord is my shepherd, watching over my soul.*”

I never knew at what moment that song was going to burst forth from her. Maybe during 30-30 time in her bunk, walking to swim time; heading to chapel; even standing in the meal line it would just pour out of her. The other girls in our group grew tired of hearing her sing it, but I would quiet them telling them she needed to practice for the Variety Show on Thursday night. Sometimes we would sing together and hearing this child, who believed each word with all her heart, made it more meaningful to me than ever before.

I turned in her form for the show and then it was a waiting game. I kept asking her if she didn’t want some of the other girls to sing with her or if she wanted a cd to sing with and she kept assuring me, that no, she was fine. She would sing by herself.

Thursday night came and the acts got up one by one. She kept looking up at me “when is it my turn?” “When will I go on?” Finally I walked to the back and looked and saw the group was up next, but he didn’t have her listed. Hurriedly I explained the situation and he agreed that she could go on after the group. Two of our girls got up and did the camp theme song with bird puppets they had made during the week, then it was her turn. They handed the mike to her.

“I am a sheep and the Lord is my shepherd, watching over my soul.*” the timid little voice softly sang. “My soul to keep guarding over me ever, watching wherever I go.” A hush fell over the normally boisterous crowd.

This 11 year old girl was alone on stage singing to the God who had brought her through to this point in time. “And when the rains come he is my shelter; and when I’m lost and alone, he carries me; and when the lions come, he is my victory, constantly watching over me.” How those words resonated with her, through everything she had been through, God had been right there beside her. Crying when she cried, hurting when she hurt.

I was on my knees in the front row for moral support and to mouth the words in case she forgot, but she didn’t. My heart swelled with pride as my eyes filled with tears. This performance was the culmination of the week we had spent together at camp.

“We are his children and he is our Father watching over our souls. Great is His love for His sons and His daughters, watching wherever we go.” With each word she got louder and more certain. The audience, who had been singing with the Variety Show acts all night, joined together with her as a soft undertone, her clear voice leading us all. She was very much in command of the song, and suddenly there was nobody else in the room, just the two of us and God. The joy and expectation that he was her Father and was watching over her lit up her eyes. There was not a doubt in her whole being that God loved her and would be there for her where others failed.

Her voice swelled to the end, “He is constantly watching over me. He is constantly watching over me.” And the room exploded. She folded herself into my arms and we held on to each other, and it was just us. Tears were in my eyes as I was holding her telling how wonderful she was, and still we clung to each other in the middle of pandemonium, yells and screams and clapping. We were alone in the presence of God.

Copyright 2009 by Stevie Stevens, Fort Worth, TX

*I Am A Sheep, Words and Music by Dennis Jernigan Copyright © 1992 Shepherd’s Heart Music, Inc. (Admin. By Word Music Group, Inc.)