Life, Love, VBS

Well, it's that time of year again. The time when signup sheets are passed around, and volunteers are requested. When one individual in the church (this year's edition is Melanie Hamm =] ) becomes quite frazzled for about 3 weeks prior, completely insane the week of, and is committed the week after (just kidding, Mel). Have you guess it yet? It's VBS!!! (round of applause from the members of the church that avoided being drafted). Time for funny looking (and sometimes funny tasting) snacks, really hyped up kids, and standing on stage doing silly motions to crazy songs (much thanks to my hero Jeff Slaughter). While all this might be true, VBS is still one of my favorite times of year. Even though our church's adventure doesn't begin until next week, the excitement and anticipation is almost tangible.

So why do we do it? Why in the world would sane people spend hours decorating classrooms, dress like cowboys or spacemen or Aborigines, nurse wounds inflicted by the ever emotional dye-cut machine, and spend their free time during the summer with knot-headed kids? Sado-masochist, maybe? Or is it the bragging rights (i.e. can you believe we had 189832463278432 kids at our VBS?? Bet your church would never DREAM of having that many!)? Or is it because these people have a love to reach children? Children that are from broken homes (or Christian homes), children that might be a little knot-headed and ornery. Children who have souls that are just as precious as their own? I would hope that that is the reason why VBS is important to us.

There is no feeling in the world like knowing that you have impacted the life of a child. Through school, or church, or play-group, we all have the opportunity to change a child's future. On Wednesday nights during this summer, I have had the privilege to teach the 3's, 4's, and 5's. What a blessing they have been in my life. There's nothing like it. They have taught me so much, and I hope that I have been able to teach them something too. They always keep me laughing (like Aiden Biastock. To him, the answer to every question is JESUS!!!), and never cease to amaze me at their ability to learn about God. My little group of Bible scholars =). Each week they come to class eager to recite the Bible verse they memorized. But the thing that warms the cockles of my heart the most, is the look on these kid's faces when they see me outside of Wednesday night, when they hug me around my knees and yelling "MISS WABEKAH!" no matter where we are. I say all of this to say that this is what VBS (and any other opportunity to work with children) is about. Building a relationship with these kids, and telling them about the Savior that died for them. That loves them. That wants to know them more intimately than anyone else. So, when I get frustrated with the kids I'm teaching, I try to remember who I'm doing this for. Why I'm doing it. And how blessed I am to get to do it.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14