Ever since I can remember, as a very little girl, Vacation Bible School (VBS) was always a major and memorable part of my summers. Vague impressions....of marching into the cool sanctuary on a hot, summer day, singing "Onward Christian Soldiers", creating those valuable "works of art" out of the wonders of yarn and macaroni, memorizing Scripture verses, playing hot and sweaty games outside and coming in for cookies and Kool-Aid...drift in and out of my mind anytime "VBS" is ever mentioned.
But, most of all, I remember the sweet ladies, and a few men, at my church who worked so hard every year to make our dreamy week of VBS adventure come true. Miss Wanda, Miss Eula, Miss Shirley, my Momma, and more...they are forever etched into my mind and my heart. The treasures they gave to us children in the church and our invited guests each of those years have remained with me throughout my entire life.
It has been an honor and privilege for me over the past few years to assist in some tiny way with VBS at our church now. My part is always very small, and my sincere thankfulness goes to the ones who really do all of the hard work. What they do is absolutely immense and immeasurable! They put months and months of planning, designing, training, brainstorming, organizing, and prayer into this vital ministry of the Church, and they never get the gratitude they deserve - though I know that they don't do it at all for the praise of men!
Things have changed a lot since the 1970s, and VBS definitely looks a little different these days! Lifeway and other organizations come out with slick new themes and materials that have it all down to a science! They know how to get the attention of the children, not an easy accomplishment in these days of texting, Facebooking, instant messaging, handheld games, WiFi, and more. Even the youngest of children, like my own 3 year old, are experts at Angry Bird on their parents' smart phones! And one other big change, at least at our church, is the number of men who are involved in VBS! From food service, to teaching, to safety and sound/video - they are there in huge numbers and really involved, and I KNOW that speaks volumes to our children!
Being really honest here, I will tell you that when I first experienced the huge production that VBS has become, I thought, "Wow! This all seems so contrived and artificial! And, isn't it just 'too much'?!!! I mean, are we at VBS or is this "High School Musical"???" However, after participating these past few years, I must admit, these organized programs really seem to "work". By the end of the week, all of the kids (and the leaders!) are singing and dancing to the Word, and it has been written on our hearts, and is abiding in our thoughts! If you can keep a secret, I'll tell you something. Being quite honest - I LOVE IT! I can't get those catchy tunes out of my head, and the meaning truly does sink in. Shhhhh! Don't you go tell my little secret to anyone!
Now, before you go thinking I'm all "saintly" like the good women (and a few men) who joyfully led VBS in my childhood days of yore, I must confess that every year I volunteer to help with VBS, not out of the goodness of my heart, but out of guilt that my kids are a participating and it is only right that I "do my part". And it's TOUGH! Whether you are helping with the refreshments, which have come a loooooooooooong way since cookies and Kool-Aid, leading crafts, or assisting with teaching Fifth Graders, it is WORK! And sometimes the kids are hard to control, and loud, and you wonder if they are getting ANYTHING out of this. Is it all a big waste of time, energy, and money?
But here's the thing that never fails to amaze me: Somewhere, during the seemingly non-ending week, these kids start growing on you. And you start becoming really impressed with how, contrary to what seems to be happening, they are really learning things. They are memorizing Scripture. They are repeating the Bible stories back to you, with understanding. The songs and the motions have become more than cute little routines - they have meaning, and they have become Worship.
And most of all, you have fallen in love with these young children...and they have become a treasured part of your heart...and the prayers you have been sending up to God for a "successful VBS" all the sudden become very personalized, with specific prayers, for specific children.
And on that last night, you find yourself laughing and loving them, and your poor heart is just overflowing with the hope that all of the seeds that have been sewn this week are taking root, deep root, into their sweet hearts. And you pray that someday, these young ones, "In their righteousness, ...will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:3)!
And then...the next night, when it is all over, and your own children are hopping around your home singing their favorite Vacation Bible School songs, and you are sitting in your living room writing your blog and thinking of all these children, you might just find yourself crying, missing those crazy kids, and realizing that from this point on...these young ones have become a part of your heart, forever.
For me, VBS doesn't end after the ice cream sundaes on the last night. Nope, for me, I realize that I have been changed, and I have been given a new challenge, a new ministry -to continue to lift these young ones up in prayer for the rest of their lives. I pray the Lord will grant me the endurance and the will to remember to do just that.
Everybody say Yeah Yeah Yeah YES to Va Va Va VBS!!! :)
