VBS week

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church. The theme is "Running the Race." Steve and I are the "coaches."

Months ago one of us must have indicated an interest in helping out with this year's VBS, then promptly forgotten about it. In April we were mildly surprised to receive a postcard in the mail that said something along the lines of, "We missed you at the VBS kick-off meeting! The next meeting is __, and here's the tentative roster of people and positions for this year's VBS: ..."

Steve and Laura were listed as the "Coaches." We made it to the next meeting in May. Actually, at that meeting were Gary, Charlie, and Steve and I - that's all. I told Gary that there must be some mistake. While Steve would be willing to coach the children at the games, I was a bad choice for that job. He looked at us blankly, as though I was speaking gibberish, then started to explain the job of "coach." Before he finished I realized it was a euphemism for "director" or "administrator" or "organizer." Gary said they figured that since Steve had been in the Marine Corps for so long, and I had been a Marine wife, we must both be very organized and good at directing things. Steve and I looked at each other and howled with laughter! Then we explained to Gary that we're not super-organized people - although we manage to muddle through well enough to get by - and that throughout most of his Marine Corps career Steve was blessed to be surrounded by extremely talented corporals, sergeants, staff sergeants, and gunnery sergeants who made sure he knew what he was supposed to do and where to do it.

We are very inadequate for this VBS job, but we're doing it anyway as there's a need, and we trust that God will use us and equip us to do it. And so far (2 days into the 4 days of VBS) He has. Despite having a very small group of people to organize and execute the program each night, it's coming together and working amazingly well!

Each adult Sunday school class is volunteering in the kitchen each night, preparing, serving, and cleaning up after supper. The junior high and senior high youth are helping the kindergarten through 6th grade children with the crafts, games, and shepherding them to and from the lessons. Shea single-handedly decorated the church and did all the publicity. David and Helen are taking care of games and crafts, and Helen is producing the skits each night. Randy is the master of ceremonies for opening and closing. Robin has taken care of each night's music. Charlie has planned the menus and procured the food, and directs the kitchen crews each night. Many different families volunteered to serve in the nurseries each night, and Carrie and Christian volunteered to teach the 3-and-4-year-olds every night (an exhausting job!). Margaret, Steve, Ron, and Melissa each took a night to give the lesson for all the children. Gary lined up four speakers for the adults. Susan provided delicious desserts for all the adults each night. Victoria planned the crafts and got all the craft materials together, even though she and her family wouldn't be here to take part in the week's activities.

Steve and I were talking about how incredible God is to be working it all out in spite of us! We were reminded of Exodus 31, in which God tells Moses what people God has decided will help with specific work in putting together the articles for the tabernacle. God says to Moses that He has called certain individuals by name (Uri and Aholiab are two), and filled them with the Spirit of God in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all manner of workmanship to do the specific work of making the furniture for the tabernacle. And later in Exodus 35:21, it says that "...everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the the Lord's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting... ."

It's so exciting to see the Lord bringing to Covenant Presbyterian's VBS "skilled craftsmen" whom He has given the skills and the willing hearts to use those skills for this endeavor.