VBS

This week was Vacation Bible School at my church.  I have always wanted an "important" role in VBS and this year I got one.  Eric and I were the class leaders for the 10-12 year olds.  Let me just tell ya- that is a hard age group!  But even with the challenges, I feel that this week was successful.  We averaged about 15 throughout the week.  I made bonds with several of the kiddos.  Now, I teach kindergarten so I was totally out of my comfort zone with these "big kids" but I adjusted quickly.  They just need a different kind of loving.  One of the toughest boys at the beginning of the week became one of my favorites by the end of it.  Even though I am exhausted, I know the time spent at VBS was well worth it.

I was shocked at some of their answers during lesson time and was glad to know they were listening and absorbing.  I pray that these kids will remember the lessons learned during VBS this year and apply them to their lives.  I pray that this may be a starting point for some of them to continue learning about God and who He is and what He has done for them.  And I pray for eventual salvation for all of them.  I am thankful for this opportunity to work with these children and pray that God continues to show up in their lives.  I hope I can be a continuing influence on them and maintain the good connections formed this week.

I always thought that I'd like to work with the youth group at church and working with VBS has given me a small taste of what it would be like.  I want to work with the youth because I know how impressionable kids are at that age and I know how many negative influences there can be at that age, also.  I have a hard time because I want the kids to understand, I want them to know not to make those decisions- not to be disrespectful, not to cave to the peer pressure- but I also know it can be hard to make the right decisions during those teenage years.  I wish I could show the kids how great God is and really make them understand that depth of His love- even though I can't comprehend it myself.  I get frustrated easily and forget that they are kids and sometimes have to learn things the hard way.  I need to remember I am always learning, too, and God can use those kids to teach me a lesson every now and then.  

For example, this week I was reminded that all roles are important- not just class leaders.  I like to have a big part in whatever I do and I like to be awesome at it.  That's my personality.  This week I was reminded it takes more than one person to get a job done sometimes.  It takes other people.  It takes God.  I am thankful I had the help of Eric and Corey to lead the class around.  I am thankful there were people making crafts and people serving food.  I am thankful for the ones in the skits.  But none of that would have mattered if God wasn't in it.  But He was.  And that's why VBS was a success.  In everything we do, we are to glorify God.  It's not for me to show off what a good job I can do.  It's not for me to get any glory, but for God to  get all the glory.  I think that is why I had challenges this week- to remind me it's about God.  Not me.

And that's the thought I want to leave you with right now-- what are you doing to bring God glory today?  We must die to ourselves and our ambitions and do what it is God would have us do.

Philippians 2:3-11 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Compassion like Jesus

Eric's (my boyfriend's) uncle Marty passed away this past Saturday.  It was unexpected.  He was helping to maintain a shooting range that he frequented and had a heart attack.  He was only 44 and left his wife, his new high school graduate daughter, and elementary school aged son behind, along with several other family members.  Now, I haven't been dating Eric that long so I only met Marty a handful of times.  Still, on those few occasions I learned what a good man Marty was.  He would talk to me and make me feel comfortable.  He was such a nice guy and had one of the most amazing smiles I'd ever seen.  Little did I know, Marty was a very influential man in his family, church, and community.  His funeral was today.  I heard stories that made me laugh and stories that made me cry.  I learned a lot about this special man.  I learned that he was a Gideon and helped to get God's Word out to others.  I learned that he was a deacon in the church.  I learned that he worked with disaster relief and was awesome with a chainsaw.  And I learned he did all of this with a meek and humble spirit.  Marty did not require recognition- in fact, he did not even like it.  He did it out of the goodness of his heart.  The officiating pastor told us today that Marty was saved when he was in middle school.  I believe he truly tried to be like Jesus. The compassion I heard about is incredible.  I wish I had got to know him better.  But I know that now he is in heaven rejoicing and praising our Savior!  And I know that as much as his family may miss him, he wouldn't come back.  He is in love with his Savior and is now there with Him forever.  

And yes, my heart breaks for his family.  I can't imagine the pain and the hurt they are feeling right now.  Especially with Father's Day right around the corner.  I hope they remember that Marty is with his Eternal Father now.

I don't know why this happened the way it did and when it did, but I do know God has a plan for absolutely everything and that even through this tough time, He will be glorified.  Maybe someone will get saved because of this.  Maybe the legacy he left will continue to be carried on by others he touched.  I hope so.  And I trust in God to work this out for good.  I am a firm believer that something good comes out of every bad situation.  As for me, I will be there to comfort Eric and the rest of the family.  And I have been inspired to do good like Marty did- to be compassionate, to help others in need, to be meek, to be humble.  To glorify God in whatever ways I can.