What Do You Seek?

“Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and of infinite majesty. I had to learn that in other ways, but nature gave the word glory a meaning for me. 

“I still do not know where else I could have found one.” — C.S. Lewis

In the spring, as I was brainstorming and putting together the plan for the new Rockmont Counselor in Training Program, I held tightly to this quote. 

Camp is such a unique, special opportunity for young men to find out who they truly are, especially for 16- to 18-year-old CITs. 

The last two years of high school are full of so many social and academic pressures to be popular enough, smart enough, or mature enough.

In my own life, I experienced how these pressures boxed me in and made me settle for less, but it wasn’t until I got out into the mountains and traveled that I realized I wanted more than what the pressures seemed to offer. 

Amid the pressures, I never stopped longing to do something great with my life, but it was nature that showed me just how great my life could be. So an essential part of the CIT Program is hikes, campouts, and adventures in the wild. 

We want to give kids the opportunity to expand their dreams for life. 

For example, during Classic 1, we went and camped on the ridgeline of the Linville Gorge, and for Classic 2, we camped in the “Enchanted Forest” below the beautiful Black Balsam Knob. On these campouts, we’ve shared countless laughs, breathtaking views, and deep moments of connection and conversation.

I’ll share one sweet moment from the first campout of the summer.

For reference, the morning before we left, we read John 1:35-39, which marks the first words Jesus ever speaks in the Gospel of John: 

“The next day John [the Baptist] was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you seek?’

They said, ‘Rabbi (which means “Teacher”), ‘where are you staying?’

He replied, ‘Come and see.’”

Throughout the rest of the day some of the CITs were talking to me and each other about this surprisingly difficult question Jesus poses, an essential question at this time in their lives.  

“What do you seek?”

Then, as the day was ending, as we all sat near the edge of the cliff for the sunset, overlooking the gorge in silence, one of the CITs turned to me, smiled, motioned toward the glory in front of him, and said with a daring smirk, 

“I think I know what Jesus meant when he said ‘Come and see.’”

Paxton Ballard 

CIT Director