I've been thinking so much lately of VBS. I don't know the first one I ever went to as a child. I'm sure my mother can and she can tell you everything I did there because most likely she has all the VBS goods still, 50 years later. My mother is like that. She loves to keep those things. The first VBS I can remember going to was the First Baptist VBS in our downtown. I guess I remember that mostly because the town newspaper had a front page picture of all the students in front of the church itself. I knew where I was in the mix is the only way I could pick me out.
The VBS I remember most is one I went to at a neighboring church as a teenager. It was during the daytime as back then many women didn't work publicly and could throw on a good Bible School. It was three hours----9 a.m. -12 p.m. and I'm telling you, there was no boredom at all. I remember if we didn't know them already, we learned all 66 books of the Bible and if we did, we reviewed those. We learned Bible scriptures by memory. Very. Hard. Ones. And we had great teaching by our teachers. Our social acitivites and entertainment were provided during refreshment time around the church picnic table. I remember this a lot because a lot of the teens who went to church there went to school with me, too, and we even rode the school bus together. That was back when there was one high school in the county so the school bus ride was very long. I think the most I remember about that time of social time was the simple conversation and caring that everyone felt. (And I remember that I wore dresses every day.) I don't remember that we ever played any sports there, we just learned about the Bible and were content with that. It's one of those memories that's more a feeling than a visual, you know? It's a warm and sweet memory feeling and I treasure that. Plus, I'm glad I learned those 66 books of the Bible. Talk about pride. I had it. Still to this day even though I have quite a bit of trouble with those last few OT books of the prophets, I can do pretty good at Bible Trivia with those questions about Bible books. Little did I know then....
So this past week I was one of the four teachers of 4 and 5 year old children. Let me say here that the other three teachers were wonderful helpers. I couldn't have picked better if I had hand picked. It was a great week we had growing together and loving together. The eleven children we had on roll were exceptionally well behaved, had a willingness to sit still and learn (and that's a big accomplishment for that age), and listened when you said "no". And we did say "no".
The theme of our VBS was "God's Big Back Yard...Under the Stars" and our room was starry and nightish.
We did handprints on our backpacks....
We did sand art....and yes, our shirts were collectively orange. Bright orange. Neon. Orange.
We filled candy bags and made butterflies as gifts for those who served us during VBS week.
And our favorite craft activity was the glow-in-the-dark fireflies....what FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!!!!!
We had great lessons....
played Captain Midnight....
and made and ate smores.
On Thursday night, we had balloons (orange of course) with our names, memory verse ("Love the Lord with all your heart.") and colored pictures on index cards attached.
We got ready, counted 1...2...3...and .....up, up, and away!!!!!
It was a great week for sure.
The story doesn't end here, though. As I got my mail from my mailbox this afternoon, I noticed an unfamiliar return address, then as I looked at the addressed envelope, I saw my address with a name and VBS balloon project. Imagine my excitement!
I opened the letter, sat in my car, and read it. It was from a woman who had found this card and balloon in her front yard either Friday or Saturday morning. It was the sweetest letter....this sweet woman telling this child in a letter about her experience of grace with the Lord...being saved at age 9 and now married with a family of her own who "love the Lord with all their hearts". The letter said some more and I just sat there and cried in my car.
Amazing to me that that little balloon could travel and land in a yard 136 miles away. And more amazing to me that the yard would belong to a Christian woman who had the perfect words to encourage my not-so-encouraging day. It was the Lord speaking to me through her and assuring me that "it is well".
Some might say I'm ridiculous in believing that the Lord could do that or that the Lord could even do anything. Doesn't matter to me. You can think whatever you want. I KNOW that my God can do AAAANNNYYYTHHIINNNGGG. He sends me things that reaffirm my trust in Him at the perfect time and lets me know He's right there taking care of business.
So yes, last week it was the faces and joy of children that was a blessing. When VBS was all said and done, it was the release of a little balloon during VBS that kept on working and brought me what I needed this week... a tiny balloon sent to it's destination by my big God.
And of course, I say a big, "AMEN"!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment