To Live is Christ…and Camp!
Posted Dec 16, 2011Please allow me to digress from my usual theme of camp humor for this issue, but this is a story worth telling. To start with, I will list some national highlights from the year 1912:
- New Mexico was admitted as the 47th
state. - RMS Titanic sank to the bottom of the
Atlantic Ocean. - Democrat Woodrow Wilson beat Theodore
Roosevelt and William H. Taft in
the 28th presidential election. - Roland Johnson was born.
“Who is Roland Johnson, and why is he so special?” you may ask. Well, I guess Roland Johnson’s birth isn’t such a big deal on the national scene, but he’s pretty special to the Free Camp Program. Roland is a camper I met a few years ago at a senior retreat sponsored by Lakewood Church of Christ from Baytown, Texas. This is truly one of my 
favorite groups, and I look forward to seeing this gang of senior citizens every fall when they hold their annual retreat at Linnet’s Wings. You may recall that I’ve written about this group a couple of times over the years. They are a fun-loving bunch with a lot of great stories to tell. For many, the retreat has become a bittersweet event, because they have lost spouses, friends, and loved ones over the past 20 years. In fact, they recently lost their group leader, Clint Prothro, who is one of the most servant-hearted and godly men that I’ve ever met.
There are some old timers in this bunch for sure, but when it comes to age, Roland has eclipsed them all. If you’ve done the math, then you’ve figured it out. You see, Mr. Johnson is 99 years old!
Let that sink in for a minute. I did a little research on great moments in American history that this man experienced. He spent his young adult years struggling through the Great Depression, and when Babe Ruth, “The Bambino,” called his shot during the 1932 World Series, Roland listened to it on the family radio. He was middle-aged when the Butt family purchased the camp property in 1954, and he was 57 when Neil Armstrong said, “that’s one small step for man… one giant leap for mankind!” When I think about it, I have to shake my head in amazement. This gentleman just spent four nights sleeping in a cabin on a 4-inch vinyl-covered foam mattress, and he can’t wait to come back next year!
Here’s a little more background on Roland:
- He lost his bride on Valentine’s Day.
They were married for 74 years! - He served in the U.S. Cavalry and
completed assignments from the
Army in WW II, Japan, and Korea. - After retiring from a 40-year career in
the Army, he went on to become a
preacher, but he did that for just 16 years!
Mr. Johnson plays a mean harmonica and knows about a thousand songs and hymns. He did an hour-long concert at this retreat. I don’t think I could play a harmonica for five minutes before keeling over from asphyxiation!
WOW! What an inspiration—what a witness—what a life of service! I asked Roland what it was about this retreat that kept him coming back year after year, and without hesitation, he answered, “It’s peaceful here.” In Philippians 1:21, Paul states, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” For Roland Johnson, to live is Christ…and that includes camp! I’ve got to start thinking how we can honor a 100-year-old camper, as Roland has promised that he will be back. From the intense look in those blue eyes…I have no doubt he will.
