His Entire Stipend

It’s always unfortunate when children have to pay for mistakes their parents committed. This was one of those situations:

Two campers sat on the porch. Their bags were packed and heads hung low. They were being sent home early. No, not because of a fight. Not because they were sick or ill-behaved. Unfortunately their mom couldn’t afford their stay. She had gone about getting them to camp in a deceitful way; and, so, the summer camp administrative staff (of which I was a part) came to the conclusion that the boys must be sent home. As they waited for their ride home, their eyes took in the place they were about to leave. “This stinks,” they must have thought. I, too, thought the same.

But then, something happened.

Just as a car pulled up Brandt Road, junior counselor, Carson, stepped onto the porch. Ok, maybe it was more of a leap. “Celmali, is there anyway they can stay?” he asked me. I could sense desperation in his eyes. The 16-year-old offered his entire stipend, a meager $75, to have the decision reversed. It was a direct challenge to the course that had been set, but I liked it. The challenge came from the right place. His heart. “Let me talk to Ken,” I said.

His stipend was small indeed, but he had asked the million-dollar question. Was $75 enough to make us see past a deceitful, but desperate, mom’s actions? Yes. It was more than enough for us to offer some grace. After all, isn’t grace offered to us all daily? The smiles on the campers’ faces were priceless as they lugged their bags back indoors. By the end of the night, the rest of the staff members had followed Carson’s lead, and enough money was pulled together to cover the cost for both children. We were floored. It was a modern day example of Christ redeeming us . . . of course, with an urban twist. Carson had seen the value in keeping two kids at summer camp and was willing to sacrifice all for it.

It’s always a fortunate event when we realize we don’t have to pay for sins we’ve committed. That is grace. Undeserved, unmerited grace. And this was one of those situations.

Celmali Jaime Okonji, program director in 2006 and 2007, attended Evangelical Garifuna Church and King of Glory Tabernacle, both in the Bronx.

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