Midnight Surprises

My Aunt Jan, my mother’s sister, married a man in the United States Air Force. He was stationed all over the country, and as I was growing up, we would visit them in whatever part of the country Uncle Sam sent them. I visited Hawaii, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York and California as a result of my Aunt Jan and Uncle Joe. They were the best tour guides anyone could ask for! Many of my favorite memories come from the adventures we had visiting them.

One such adventure was when I was 9 years old. My mom was expecting my youngest sister and we went to Colorado to meet Aunt Jan, Uncle Joe and my cousins Kassie and Janell. My parents borrowed a pop-out camper from some friends. The top part of the camper was made of canvas and was attached to the base at certain intervals with snaps. My cousin Linda, who was 16 at the time, came with us to help with my middle sister Jeri, who was around 2.

As we traveled to Colorado (from Michigan) we stopped at night and set up the camper, my mom would fix dinner, and then we would go to sleep. I slept on one end, next to the canvas wall, with Linda. We had been traveling for about a week and set the camper up as usual, in a KOA on a hill. Remember, I was 9 years old, and not only have I always been short in stature, but at the time I was just a little thing.

We went to bed, and somehow during the course of the night, I rolled up in a ball, and slipped between the snaps holding the canvas to the base of the camper. I woke up sitting on the ground, outside the camper in the dark. I didn’t make a peep, but got up, went to open the camper door, which was locked, so I knocked on the door.

In a fearful voice, my mom said, "Who’s there?"

I mournfully called out, "It’s me!"

"Janna? What are you doing outside?"

"I fell out of the camper", I cried.

Thankfully, she unlocked the door and let me in. As I got back into bed, she asked me where my sleeping bag was, and I told her that it was outside. She went and got it for me and off to sleep I went.

The next day, the sleeping arrangements were definitely changed around. My cousin slept next to the canvas wall.

This humorous story has become a family favorite, but I can see God’s protection for a little girl who was at the mercy of gravity on that fateful night. That same protection is still available for this big girl today! And now, even like the past, I am not always aware of God's care and protection over the "little girl" who lives in me. After all, I am a child of God! He watches over His own.

Campers have changed since then, and when my parents bought a new camper, it came with sturdy fiberglass walls ----- no more midnight surprises!