Hello Fadduh

I grew up on vinyl records. My father had plenty of them too. While other kids my age had cassettes, I was still listening to vinyl. His favorite records of mine were those that had funny songs and one of my favorite songs on there was titled, “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter from Camp).” This ought to tell you a little bit about my type of humor and from whence came my strangeness.

This song tells the story of a young boy sent away to summer camp who is writing a letter back home to his parents. Apparently, he is stationed at the worst camp ever and we learn this as he lists his woes. It rains non-stop, campers are getting various sicknesses, some have gone missing, there are wild beasts roaming the camp and to top it all off, the coach dares to read a boring book to them for a recreational activity. He’s willing to do anything to escape. He promises to be good and not cause trouble with the other kids, he’s willing to show love and concern for his brother and he will even “let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss” him. In the midst of all of this, we find out that despite all of the bad things happening around him, he’s only been at camp one whole day. Suddenly, everything changes. The sun comes out, kids are playing and having fun and this camper ends his letter by simply telling his parents to disregard it all.

He put a lot of time into petitioning his parents to take him home, to get him out of the situation he was in, to bring him to safety. He realized that they were the only ones who could do it and thus they were the only ones he could turn to if he wanted his life to be better. Once the “trial” passed over him though, his whole attitude changed. Those who, at one point, were the only people who could help him now became unneeded. This camper was self-sufficient and was ready to go out and do as he pleased. Growing up and found this song hilarious (and I still do) and I saw the camper as your normal homesick child away from his parents and possibly over-exaggerating a bit. Thinking in the realm of the spiritual though, I see a comparison that is very close to many people in the world today concerning their relationship with God.

In this life, we are separated from God, both physically by the fact that we are not in His presence and spiritually by our sin. I want to focus on the physical separation, because this physical separation leaves us here on earth, were sin is law and Satan is king in some senses. Because of sin, we must deal with pain, loss, sickness and many other things that no one enjoys. In response to these events, many people in the world become just like the camper in this popular song. When things are going wrong, they run to their care-taker and beg for aid, but as soon as the trouble passes they become self-sufficient and in no need for the help of the one petitioned earlier.

We have to deal with sickness in this life, it’s just a fact. When loved ones become sick or when we become sick, we want to do whatever it takes to become healthy again. We will go to great financial lengths to try and find the best help possible and more often than not we ask all that we know to pray for the sick. Even those who usually have little or nothing to do with God will turn to prayer and petitions to God. Some may even state that they would be willing to do anything for the sickness to be cured. The same situation often happens if someone finds himself in physical danger or things in their life just can’t seem to take a turn for the positive. Promises are made for faithfulness and willingness to obey God as long as He will pull them out of their current situation, yet as soon as the situation passes, these petitions and promises are often forgotten.

We do not want to be like the young camper. Our God is not a God who is just there to be called upon in times of distress, but is a God in whom we should always put our trust in. Whether our life is having more ups or more downs, we are still reliant on Him in all things and could not even have the ups without Him. Surely we need to turn to God in times of trials and turmoil, but when those times have passed, we cannot dare forget Him and all that He has done for us.