Wonder #4: "Heaven on Earth"
Experiencing the Beauty of God's Creation At Camp
Written by Emily Winkel-Washburn
Have you ever heard Camp Arcadia described as a “piece of Heaven on Earth”? I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve heard this. Some say it lightly, reflecting on a perfect day filled with sunshine; others say it because there’s a change in the air when you step out into the turnaround after a long drive, take a stretch and that first deep breath, and somehow already have sand in your shoes!
I’ve been experiencing that “first breath” for over thirty years now, and crave it more now than I ever have before. I imagine it is how the first step into Heaven will feel, that “finally!” moment.
Perhaps another reason Camp feels like a piece of Heaven is because of the open hearts it inspires. We receive this incredible invitation to spend time seeking God without distractions and interruptions, and I believe it opens us to see and feel more of His presence.
Are the stars really more beautiful in Northern Michigan than central Indiana? It’s very possible, but I’ve also never felt compelled to lay on a beach towel at midnight and stare up into the sky endlessly. In one place, it may be a beautiful night with the stars bright and clear, but at Camp, it’s an awe-inspiring experience of realizing just how vast the universe is and how intentional it must be for us to even exist. Heaven feels that much closer, gazing into the stars at midnight from the Chapel on the Beach.
There’s so much anticipation throughout the year for me around just getting to Camp, and that deep breath of arrival so full of peace and restfulness, and then the awe of the landscape around you. During teen weeks, we had a saying; “stay on top of the mountain” – a reminder for us to stay just as connected and invested in our relationship with God, even as we returned to our everyday lives. How? How could I possibly maintain this feeling of closeness, of peace, of wonder at His creation? Each year I would go home with a strip of tie dyed material knotted around my ankle. I’d wear it until it was only threads as my reminder to “stay on top of the mountain.” At some point, I learned I had another option, another means of staying in that state of mind. By using the gift I was given, I could paint it. I could paint my way back up the mountain!
I have always been a painter. There is a photo in archives somewhere of me, aged maybe five or six, painting a rock in the old craft shop. I would collect the rocks, then paint! Collect more rocks, paint some more! Now that I think about it, not much has changed, except now the Petoskey stones and fossils are added to my collection and I bring my own watercolor paper and paints. I would capture sunsets and little scenes to take home with me as reminders.
Painting at Camp Arcadia is an experience full of joy and peace. It’s a dance with the colors surrounding me and the breeze and sound of the waves. It is easy to paint joy and peace when you are sitting in a piece of Heaven, isn’t it?
Stay on top of the mountain. I never can. Every year after leaving Camp, this wave of homesickness crashes down on me. All of the anticipation to get there, all of the relief of finally making it, and then, suddenly, I’m back, stuck on the other side, rolling my way down the mountain. A couple of years ago, some of my paintings went home with other guests. I was so glad to share these and knew they were taking a piece of Camp with them, which prompted me to paint more once I was back in my studio.
I quickly found that by painting, I could call back up the feeling of being at Camp. The sound of the waves and feel of the breeze would dance for me again as I worked, and I slowly climbed back up the mountain. Reaching the peak again was painting the first Cross at Sunset, with the sun blazing through the center of the cross at the Chapel on the Beach. I could finally share what it felt like to exist in a little piece of Heaven on Earth, and go back over and over.
Now that I am working as a full time artist, I build paintings of Camp into my schedule. It keeps me on top of the mountain, revisiting and remembering. I return to the cross at the Chapel on the Beach most often, and have painted it more than a dozen times in different ways. The cross, sunsets over the water, waves crashing… they all speak to people and resonate in ways that remind me I am simply the painter of His artwork! When I am asked if my paintings are of a real place, I get to say “Yes, it is a real place, a piece of Heaven on Earth in Northern Michigan, Camp Arcadia.”
Emily Winkel-Washburn is a Michigan born and raised painter and illustrator who credits her original “RKD Collection” as the catalyst for taking her art journey full time. Emily has a long history with Camp as a family Camper, teen Camper, summer staffer, and women’s retreat guest. One of her paintings hangs in the Assembly and prints have been available in the Trading Post. You can learn more about Emily and her work here: https://www.emilyandraillustrations.com/
This is one snapshot of how God uses Camp Arcadia to bless families and individuals each and every year. We are grateful for your partnership in what God is doing through Camp! If you’d like to join us as a partner in ministry, consider making a gift to Camp Arcadia in support of our mission to provide renewal in spirit, mind and body for each and every guest.
One Response
Emily – I looked at your website and the exhibits are awesome. Keep up the good work!