Like almost every summer before it, our RockRidge Canyon adventure began with plenty of excitement, laughter and a few hurdles along the way. Getting 17 teenagers and leaders from Dawson Creek to camp is an adventure all on its own, but we made it through every challenge and eventually arrived at RockRidge Canyon.

And when we arrived, the excitement was real. We knew we were standing at the beginning of what could be the BEST WEEK of some of these teens’ lives. A week filled with adventure, laughter, new experiences, deep conversations and opportunities to hear about Jesus in ways that can change a life. We were grateful to be there, and we were ready to make the most of every moment.

Camp brings together teenagers from all walks of life. Some arrive simply looking for a week of fun and adventure. Others arrive carrying things that most people will never see. It’s our hope that the teens who need to be at camp the most are given the opportunity to be there. And, honestly, I believe that was true this year.

On the first day of camp, I realized I had misplaced my portable battery bank. I had actually just bought it for my wife before the trip. I needed one for the long bus ride, so I figured I’d use it during camp and give it to her when we got home. It was bright pink, and for good reason, I had written our last name on it.

At some point, it disappeared from my bag.

“Okay,” I thought. “I’ll deal with that later.”

That evening, I asked the boys in my cabin, “Did any of you borrow my battery bank? It’s totally cool if you did. I’d just love to have it back before we leave so I can charge it.”

They all said no.

I didn’t really suspect that any of them had taken it, but I figured it was worth asking. I even joked, “Maybe one of you wanted to charge your vape with it. That’s cool. Just give it back when you can.”

And that was that.

The next day, I came back to our cabin and noticed that our room had been rummaged through. My bag, which had been underneath my bed, was now sitting on top of it with the front zippers open. The emergency $75 I kept in the front pocket was gone, along with some unique markers I really liked.

Throughout the day, the head leaders at camp were also dealing with kids entering cabins that weren’t theirs. There were teenagers running in and out of rooms, playing pranks and generally being kids. It wasn’t something camp hadn’t dealt with before, but it was still concerning.

That night, I told the boys that some of my things had been taken. I let them know that if they wanted, they could put their valuables in the cabin safe along with mine.

From that point forward, my wallet and anything else important went into the safe.

It was a little disappointing. In all my years at camp, this was the first time I’d felt like I needed to protect my belongings from unwanted hands. But every year brings its own challenges, and this was simply one of ours.

I decided not to get angry about it.

During cabin time, I told the boys, “Well, I hope whoever took it really needed it.”

I assured them I was okay.

“Maybe their mom or dad couldn’t afford to buy them a portable battery charger, and they really wanted one,” I said.

Then I added, “Who knows? Maybe they’ll end up getting an awesome Young Life hoodie that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”

And we moved on.

Throughout the rest of the week, the boys asked me a few times if I had found my things.

Nope.

But I kept telling them the same thing.

“That’s okay. Maybe it was something somebody really needed, and maybe I was able to help.”

I didn’t think much more about it.

What I didn’t realize was that my teens were watching!

On the final night of camp, we went around the cabin doing something we often do called Highs, Lows and Buffalos. A high is your highlight of the day. A low is something that wasn’t so great. And a buffalo is something surprising or unexpected.

This time, I asked them to think about their entire week at camp.

We went around the circle, one teen at a time, sharing their highs, lows and buffalos.

Then we got to the last teen.

He looked at me and said, “You know, my buffalo has been you, Bryce.”

I was surprised!

“Why?” I asked.

He explained, “I would have been pissed. It would have ruined my week. I would have been thinking about who stole my stuff, how I was going to get it back, and why somebody would do that. It would have ruined my week.”

And in that moment, it hit me.

He had been watching!

I hadn’t planned a lesson. I hadn’t sat down with the boys and told them how Christians should respond when something is taken from them. I hadn’t even realized that my response was being noticed!

I was simply living my life in front of them.

And maybe that’s one of the most powerful parts of what we get to do in Young Life.

Our teens are watching us!

They’re watching how we respond when things don’t go our way. They’re watching how we treat people who disappoint us. They’re watching how we handle frustration, conflict, disappointment and even injustice.

Sometimes the biggest opportunities to show them Jesus aren’t found in a Bible study or a big camp talk.

Sometimes they’re found in the small things.

In how we respond when someone takes something that belongs to us.

In whether we choose grace instead of anger.

In whether we give people the benefit of the doubt.

In whether our faith changes the way we actually live.

We have an incredible opportunity to live Christ-like lives in front of our teen friends in a way that isn’t scary or forced, but is inviting, genuine and encouraging.

And the amazing thing is, we may never know when they’re watching.

Walking alongside teenagers through life is one of the greatest blessings I have ever been given. They grow as we walk together, but so do I. Every conversation, every camp, every challenge and every ordinary moment gives God another opportunity to shape both of us.

Sometimes the things that seem small to us become the biggest examples in someone else’s life.

We just have to be willing to live them.