Master design

One of the educational themes this month has been engines. The boys learned about types of engines, like two-stroke and four-stroke engines, and how they work.

But the best part of this past session (at least according to the boys) was making their own derby cars.

The starting piece was a block of wood and four wheels. Then they could carve and create whatever they wanted (within the specifications - there were rules!).

The boys worked incredibly hard on their cars. Hours were spent discussing designs and carving the blocks (sometimes while listening to a book around a campfire). Then came the fine-tuning, polishing, and painting. Some of them even made tiny license plates for their cars. And it wasn’t just the boys - most of the staff also poured their creativity into their own derby cars.

While cars were being made, a raceway was designed and prepared for the first ever Crane Lake Discovery Camp Derby Car Race!

Finally the day of the race arrived. Anticipation was high! First, all the cars had to be measured and weighed to make sure they were regulation size.

Then the race could begin. The cars raced in multiple heats. On your mark, get set, GO! Sometimes judges needed to rely on video footage to verify the win.

We had a lot of fun. But the most amazing thing was the amount of creativity and individuality each person displayed. Each person was given similar blocks of wood, and what they did with them was up to them. And we were amazed to see how unique and individual each person’s car was; each person made something unique and individual that told part of their story.

Seeing the way the boys have worked diligently, making such unique creations, has made us reflect on how much more diligently God has created each of us.

Psalm 139:14 says that "we are fearfully and wonderfully made" by God. And Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s workmanship or masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Just as the boys worked so intensely on their works of art, so also God works on each of us.

Sure, sometimes it seems like we’re closer to a block of wood than a polished race car, but God is patient, delights in us, and spends exorbitant amounts of time trimming and polishing and helping us to become who he wants us to be. The process isn’t always fun or comfortable, but it is good. We know it is God who is working in each of us to reflect his design and his glory. Each of us has unique personalities and gifts that God has shaped in us for a reason.

The daily walking with each boy at camp can sometimes be hard. But these derby cars remind us that each of the boys is a masterpiece of God’s design. He created them, delights in them, and has a purpose for them. And it’s our great privilege to walk with these boys and be part of their stories.

With contributions from Laura Martin, who shared these thoughts with the boys before the Derby Race. Laura is lives at camp with her husband Tim and her boys Eli and Jesse.