The Poncho Tent

Moments that Motivate with Tim Lovelace

Immediately after I joined the Boy Scouts, they announced we were going on a camping trip. I told my dad I needed a tent, and he started telling me what he had learned in Army boot camp—how you can make an emergency tent by snapping two ponchos together. So Dad and I went to the Army surplus store and bought two ponchos. Dad Economics 101.

I then found a scout who didn't have a tent and asked him if he wanted to camp like a real soldier. He was thrilled! The day finally arrived, and the troop hiked into the woods. I was so excited as we set up camp, although I felt bad for the scouts with their new store-bought tents. The boys stood around my authentic army poncho tent, wishing they had one.

After an evening of snipe hunting, we hit the sack. My tent was open on both ends, and as I was lying there, I heard something that sounded like crop dusters, only to discover they were South Alabama mosquitos the size of humming birds. They ate us alive!

We finally had a reprieve when a gentle rain set in. Did I say gentle? When the monsoon hit our camp, I noticed we were on an incline. As a river flowed down our backs, my friend was not a happy camper. He sat up and shouted, “I don’t want to be a soldier anymore.”

And the lesson learned was this…enthusiasm, without proper training is not enough. In Proverbs, we are encouraged to seek understanding and wisdom. Why, even the Scout’s motto is “Be prepared,” and that applies to all of life.

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