Oh friends, this one has been resting on my heart for a while now, and I think it’s finally time to share it.
I’ve had a lot of time to reflect stepping into this new year… time to sit with the ache, the memories, the fear of change, and yes… the hope. New beginnings are hard. Really hard. And if you know me, change is not my favorite thing. I like familiar. I like steady. I like knowing that when I round that corner at Crider’s, my heart will start racing like it always has, and that first glimpse of those three hearts on the gate will whisper… “you’re home.”
But this year… that isn’t our story anymore.
When I drove in on July 6 and saw the devastation with my own eyes, my heart broke all over again. The canopy of trees gone. The mighty cypress no longer standing guard. The riverbank changed forever. It wasn’t just the loss of a place. It was the loss of the feeling. And I had to finally admit to myself… even if we rebuilt on that same ground, it would never feel the same. And strangely… I am at peace with that.
Because Heart of the Hills was never just dirt, cabins, trees, and river. Heart of the Hills is people. It is legacy. It is laughter and songs and little-girl giggles echoing off canyon walls. It is Jane. And even though she will not walk with us through our new location… she is absolutely going with us, because she lives inside of us. Her fingerprints are all over who we’ve become. Her voice still shapes how we lead, how we love, and how we show up strong and kind in the world.
And I know there are some who feel hesitant right now; I get it, simply because it won’t be the same place we’ve loved for so long.… and that’s hard. That’s honest. But I also cannot shake this feeling that God is doing something new, and He is not surprised by any of this.
I have stood in Japonica Cemetery, reading the names of the Jones family who dreamed something into existence in 1953 that would ripple into thousands of hearts, thousands of homes, and generations of women. Can you imagine the excitement they must have felt creating a place no one had ever known before? A place that would become sacred to us. Now somehow… we get to stand in that same space of new beginnings again. Different land. Same heart. Same mission. Same God who goes before us.
No… this new location will not be the same. It shouldn’t be. God does not ask us to stay the same. He grows us. He strengthens us. He matures us. He asks us to be brave even when our knees shake. I believe deep in my bones that our founders, our leaders, our Heart family in heaven, and yes… our sweet Jane… are cheering us on. I believe they are proud of the strong women they raised, who refuse to let the story end in devastation, but choose to write a new chapter.
Will this summer be emotional? Oh heavens, yes. Will I cry on Opening Day and Closing Day? Probably ugly cry. More than once. Will there be bumps? Most likely. Will it feel unfamiliar? Yep. But that is ok. That is how growth works. That is how resilience is built. That is exactly what Jane taught us.
So here is my heart’s plea to my Heart girls, my counselors, my campers, my friends, my camp family: Come with open minds. Come with open hearts. Come not to “compare” or “test the waters,” but to build, to love, to plant new roots, to believe in goodness, to choose excitement even when grief still sits beside us.
And to those who cannot come back, who feel like their Heart chapter has closed… please know I love you too. No judgment. No guilt. Just love and gratitude for every summer we shared.
I am excited. Truly. Peacefully excited. I cannot wait to see girls I missed so deeply last year, especially my second term girls I grieved not seeing. I cannot wait to love on you, laugh with you, serve with you, and watch God write beauty from ashes once again. Because no matter where we land, Heart of the Hills is still Heart of the Hills. The name is not changing. The mission is not changing. The love is not changing.
It may look different. It may feel different. But it will still be home.
Home is not a place. Home is the people who choose to show up, love deeply, serve faithfully, and create magic together. This year… let’s walk forward with open hearts, open minds, and a whole lot of faith.
New beginnings may be hard, but they are also sacred. And I believe with everything in me… this is a blessed new beginning.
It will always be our Heart of the Hills.
And together… we will make this new place home. 
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”Isaiah 43:19
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”Psalm 34:18
No comments:
Post a Comment