VBS

Tonight is the beginning of a week of Vacation Bible School at our church. The theme is “High Seas Expedition”. The transformation from your average church into the “sea” theme has been happening now for several weeks…months even. One of the halls we walk through to get from one end of the building to the other has been transformed into an underwater passage. The imagination of the organizers is amazing.

I didn’t grow up in church; it wasn’t until I was in the 7th grade that I began attending and learned about a Savior who died for me. I knew about the baby Jesus born in the manger but He never left the manger.  In my mind He was just another Christmas story.

Vacation Bible School, church camp, skating parties, youth activities, all those fun things that kids invite their un-churched friends to attend are important. We have to invest our time, energy and money into those kinds of activities. When budgets are tight and people are busy it may be tempting to scale back on activities or even eliminate them all together.

I’m a walking, talking testimony of the importance of programs that focus on children and young people. I was one of those youth who rode a bus, and later was picked up in a van so that I could attend church. The sacrifice of the people who drove, taught, organized, and led the youth and children may not have seemed to make any difference then, but God did not waste their sacrifice. My life is one of those that was changed because people gave of themselves.

Tonight a group of giggly, wiggly girls and loud and rowdy boys are going to descend upon a small church in small town America. They are going to sing songs, hear Bible stories, get crafty, devour snacks and play games. For some of them it will be their first encounter with church. For some it might turn out to be a life changing event in their lives. They will learn that the Son of God, Jesus, died for them a long time ago, that He loves them, and He wants to live in their heart. Some of them…maybe even just one of them…will believe what they learn about Jesus and ask Him into their heart. If that happens, all the time, energy, preparation and effort will have been worth it. In Gods economy nothing is wasted. Everything we give to see a child come to Christ is worth it.

The heart of a child is tender and open to the things of God. Jesus told His disciples to let the children come.

“The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.” Mark 10:13-16 (The Message)

I read in that scripture passage that I have to have the heart of a child. A childlike faith is what is required for me to enter God’s kingdom. We are God’s children. All of us need to know that God loves us, that He has a plan for our lives and He sent His Son to die for us. VBS is one of the ways God’s message is communicated to a community of children that they are important to God.

Do you have fond memories of VBS? I’d enjoy hearing them.

It’s Gratitude Monday. I’m adding to my list of graces.

51. All the people from the 2 churches I attended as a teenager who impacted my life for Christ…naming just a few here.

52. Charles…he drove a bus that picked up my sisters and I and then took us home.

53. Rick…a Jr. High Sunday School teacher who put up with our juvenile antics.

54. Floyd (aka Papa Brown)…drove a the van that picked us up and drove us home…sometimes stopping for ice cream at the Dairy Queen.

54. Wayne…taught my High School Sunday School class and never failed to tell us the importance of studying our lesson and reading the Word…knowing it went in one ear and out the other…he prepared and faithfully taught us every Sunday.

55. Fay…was my youngest sisters Sunday School teacher, she didn’t give up on that group of kids, took them on a trip to 6-Flags and invited me along.

56. My grandmother…prayed for her children and grandchildren every night.

57. My Aunt Betty and Uncle Raymond…my first memories of visiting a Church is with them.

58. My dads uncle encouraged my parents to allow us to attend church where he was an active member and would keep an eye on us.

59. The youth choir “The Ambassadors”…I learned to love the music of the church through my experience with that choir.  Charles and Wanda were our fearless leaders.

60. Lizzie (aka Mama Brown) invited us to her house after church many Sunday’s and fed us the most wonderful green beans fresh from her garden.

61. The group of teens from Lone Oak who piled into a van one Saturday, drove to our house and invited three sisters to church…I married one of the guys.

62. David and Ginger…they regularly opened their home to a group of young people to fellowship with one another, planned fun games, had snacks…such generous people.

63. Ruby…patiently endured our youth choir practices, taught us the music and played the piano.

64. Flossie…was encouraging me to teach the Preschoolers Sunday School class before I finished High School. She had such a heart for children.

65. Howard…ran Camp Allen - the camp I attended with my friends. Many good memories of worship and fun.

66. The generous people who gave money so I could attend camp.

67. The adults and the parents of friends who by the life they lived everyday showed me what being a follower of Christ looked like.

68. The Church that acted like the Church and reached out to three sisters and made us feel like family.

69. The people who faithfully prayed for me through my teenage years and beyond.

70. The kindness and encouragement of people who had no idea that church was a refuge for me as well as my sisters.

Join the Gratitude Community and share your blessings.