Vacation Bible School

" but Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" - Matthew 19:14

It's that time of year again: days shining with brilliance, nights filled with fireflies, pools bursting at the seams... and Vacation Bible School. I love it! I've been involved in one way or another my whole life with VBS. I attended as a child, helped as a teen, sent my kids as a young mom, and volunteered as an adult.

Some of my earliest recollections of Bible school were at my first church, Concordia Lutheran. When I was a kid, VBS went for two whole weeks! It was epic!! We had hundreds of kids attend. It was "THE" highlight of my summer.

I remember my mother preparing her lessons. She actually took vacation from work in order to be a teacher. That really made an impression on me. She loved kids. She loved teaching. She loved Jesus. What better way to roll all those loves into one than summer Vacation Bible School?!

Truth be told, as a child, I didn't like that. She spent her vacation, or at least half of every day of it, hanging out with other kids... not me. I was jealous of her time and attention. However, as I got a little older, I realized what passion she had for reaching kiddos with the Good News of the Gospel, and I began to soften to the idea that there are things in life worth the effort and the sacrifice of time. My mom had already seen to it that I was introduced to Jesus. It was important to her to do the same for other people's kids.

Next week I will get to follow in her footsteps again. I'll be helping my daughter Sarah with Vacation Bible School at her church, King of Kings Lutheran in Round Rock. I don't have to. I "get" to! It's always a privilege to share Jesus. I too love kids and teaching. Those things kind of roll into one with me also.

Yes, it's tiring. Yes, you almost always have a child or two who test your limits and try your patience a bit, but, hey, they are precious in His sight too! Our job with VBS is to introduce children to their best friend, to help them begin to have a real and vibrant relationship with Him, to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them... and the heart of their heavenly Father.

Oh, I have heard the comments about VBS becoming a type of glorified babysitter for kids, when parents have to work and find something for their children to do where they're safe and occupied, but... at least they're there, right? We still have the same opportunities to reach them for Jesus, yes? I say that works in our favor, and we'll take them and teach them and show Jesus' love to them as often as we can... as often as they want to come.

It's a tough, stressful world out there. Many of the children showing up at our doors haven't got a church home of their own. Many are unfamiliar with even the most basic Bible stories. Many are searching for something they don't even know they're missing. We know. We're there to help them find it... find Him.

Helping with Vacation Bible School isn't a chore. It's not a job you get talked into. It's a calling, and I, for one, am more than a little excited I get the chance to do it again this year.

Happy summer, you guys. If you get the opportunity to help with your church's VBS, DO IT! The rewards may not be temporal, but you just may see one of those precious little faces in heaven one day... and that's more than worth giving up a few vacations days.

I'd appreciate your prayers for next week... mostly for energy ;)! No blog post next Friday as I will otherwise be more importantly occupied.