Thank you, Patrick, For Your Applause

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By John Scott, Dallas, Texas

I winced when the preacher talked about charity work as a “spiritual gift,” as if it had to be a God-given talent like an aptitude for art or music.

When I think of being gifted, I think of a boy named Patrick I met at Camp John Marc—Special Camp for Special Kids. That’s a beautiful summer camp with its own lake about two hours from Dallas. As the crow flies it’s not far from Crawford, Texas. It’s for kids with chronic illnesses and serious physical disabilities. Each one-week session is for up to 140 campers. One week is for kids with cancer, another for kids on dialysis due to kidney disease, one for kids who have survived severe burns, and so on for kids with muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, asthma, and various other conditions. Each week-long camp is given a special name. My favorite camp name is the one for kids with childhood arthritis: “The Joint Adventure.”

Five years ago my wife Joanie volunteered to help with arts and crafts during “Camp TLC.” It’s for kids with spina bifida. And she “volunteered” me to work there too. We enjoyed it so much we’ve been back every year since. One year, at 66, I was their oldest cabin counselor.

When the kids arrive at camp they are welcomed as the heroes they are, with loud cheers and applause from the staff and volunteers. And they enjoy a life-changing respite from being different. No one stares at them, but no one turns their eyes away from them either. My own eyes moistened a bit when I heard an older camper tell a newcomer, “This is the only place I go where no one ever makes fun of me.”

Everything is accessible by wheelchair, even the tree houses. The campers do things most of them never dreamed of doing. They ride horses, swim, go canoeing, fish, camp out overnight, play a variety of sports and games, win prizes at an outdoor fair, soak their counselors at a water fight using real fire hoses, and go to the big dance (yes, kids in wheelchairs can dance).

The campers learn to do things for themselves they’ve never done before, making them more independent and proud.

At the end of the week, each camper goes home with a well-deserved sense of accomplishment, memories of good food and great times, and some gifts for the family they made in arts and crafts. And a burning desire to come back next summer.

Now, back to that young man named Patrick. He goes to Camp TLC because he has spina bifida. He also has cerebral palsy.

I first met Patrick at a cook out. He was 10 years old. I had been assigned the task of making ice cream. There was no electricity at the campsite, so we used an old-fashioned ice cream maker that had to be cranked by hand. I cranked until both of my arms became fatigued. Then, on an impulse, I asked Patrick, “Can you help me with this?” I suppose I shouldn’t have asked him that; it’s difficult for Patrick to control the movements of his arms and hands. But he was quick to say, “Sure,” and he guided his battery-powered wheelchair to the ice cream maker. Once Patrick got his hand on the handle, he amazed us all. He cranked much longer than I had been able to do, until the ice cream was ready to eat. Delicious!

Each morning all the campers gather for an outdoor meeting called “Word of the Day.” It begins with loud music, followed by some staff members making fools of themselves for laughs.

Then comes the best part—announcements recognizing campers for outstanding achievements: “Mary, for conquering her fears by going to the top of the tower and coming down the zip line,” “Mike (one of the few at Camp TLC who can walk), for helping his fellow campers get their wheelchairs up some hills,” and…

“Patrick, for cranking ice cream at the cookout.”

Each announcement is met with applause.

That’s where Patrick’s “gift” comes in. As a gift of encouragement to his fellow campers, Patrick always applauds them with great enthusiasm. That’s not easy for Patrick. It requires a lot of concentration on his part. But he does it extremely well. His enthusiasm is further evident from the way his head gyrates when he applauds.

Applause from anybody is appreciated, but applause from Patrick is deeply gratifying. Every time I’ve watched him applaud the last five years I’ve been inspired to do more to encourage others.

What a gift! By “gift” I don’t mean Patrick is gifted with a special ability to applaud. Far from it. But he does it anyway.

That’s why I winced when the preacher talked about charity work as if it were a spiritual gift for a chosen few. I was under the impression from what Jesus said that charity work is a non-negotiable requirement—period. Nevertheless, surveys show that most people who are active in church are not active in charity, at least not the kinds of charity Jesus talked about. Of course Jesus didn’t talk about charity in the modern legal sense, which could include donations to a tax-exempt organization of atheists. Jesus specifically spoke of helping people with their most basic physical needs—for food, water, clothes, and shelter, and those who are sick, in prison, crippled, or blind. And he said those who practice that kind of worldly charity are going to receive a heavenly reward (Mt 25:31-46; Lk 14: 13-14). Of course, being charitable has its rewards in this life too. As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Concerns about eternity may provoke some into committing their first acts of charity, but the here-and-now joy of doing it soon takes over. In the long run, joy is a more powerful motive than fear.

In any event, Jesus never said charity is only an obligation for those who have a gift for it. Thank God for people like Joanie who uses her extraordinary talent to help special kids. But a lot of charity work requires no unique skills. What I do at camp certainly doesn’t (they taught me everything I needed to know in a brief orientation). They just need people who are willing, just as Patrick is willing to applaud his fellow campers.

So, Patrick, thank you for demonstrating that helping others does not always require a special gift. Thank you for making your friends happy campers. Thank you for inspiring at least one old man to be more encouraging to others than he was before he met you. Thank you, Patrick, for your example. Thanks for your applause.

Note: John Scott is also a member of the Sunday School Class at Park Cities Baptist Church, which Foy Valentine taught for many years.