Answering God's Call and Imperfection

All week I spent my mornings with twelve to sixteen preschoolers at our church. You know how sometimes your soul just smiles? That's how mine felt--all lit up! But yesterday afternoon I spent some time in prayer because even though I answered the call to teach this year, I was painfully aware of my shortcomings.


Reminders of my imperfection:

Monday ~ Scrambled to keep twelve different personalities occupied and in the right place all day. This led to "thinking on my feet." Did I handle each situation correctly? Uh, no!

Tuesday ~ Woke up with a killer migraine and had to ask another volunteer to cover the class for me. There are few things in my life as humbling as a migraine. I felt terrible for not being able to teach the little ones, but God's grace is sufficient, and our pastor's wife took over--a blessing in disguise!

Wednesday ~  With two more children in the class, I struggled to contain the handful of high-energy kids and ended up not being able to give our precious low-maintenance ones the attention they deserved. My daughter helped with this, reminding me how blessed I am to have her.

Thursday ~ Oh boy. All the kids were more rambunctious and tired than usual. I put out a lot of "fires" so to speak and by the time our coloring contest winner was announced, I had four bawling little girls. I felt bad about having to discipline two of our other girls that day (those babies melt me!!), and, to top it off, I was pretty short with a few older kids who seemed to think I'd taken their suckers when I only wanted to put the final polish of cleaning on my room so we could leave.

Basically, answering God's call opens my eyes to how imperfect I really am. Sure, I can hide behind my daily routine and think I'm a pretty good Christian, but at the end of the day, even my best intentions and efforts fall far short of God's will.

It's funny, though, last night, my soul was still smiling--still all lit up. Do you know why? Because God's grace IS sufficient. God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows every obstacle we will face, and He's there, holding our hands, whispering suggestions, applauding us in our efforts. He wants us to show up, to answer His call. He took care of the "perfect" part with Jesus.

Did the children in my class have a good time this week? Yes. Did they come away with a good memory of VBS? I hope so! But it was by God's mercy, not my works. I pray each of their little lights shines brighter, and I'm so thankful to parents who send their kids to learn of God's goodness.

Does answering God's call ever reveal your imperfections?

Have a fabulous weekend!

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Gearing Up for VBS!

This week I have the privilege of leading a group of preschoolers at our church's vacation Bible school. When I was young, VBS was always a highlight of summer. I loved singing fun songs, snacking on cookies, and making crafts. My mom usually volunteered, and I would see my friends from Sunday school.


It's been a few years since I've taught VBS, so I had to dust off all the tricks I've learned from various teaching gigs. One thing I'm very grateful for--my classroom helper, my own daughter!

A successful week depends on a number of things.

* Preparing a variety of ten minute activities appropriate for ages four to six.

Our church is using a block-style, rotation schedule, but the youngest kids will be done with the "singing" block well before the allotted twenty-five minutes. It's my job to keep them occupied. :)

    a. 2-3 songs with actions, like "This Little Light of Mine"
    b. Foam sticker projects
    c. Washable markers and paper animals to color
    d. Stickers
    e. Coloring Sheets
    f. A few games geared around the theme, Go Tell It On the Mountain

 

* Having a relaxed attitude. 

My goal is for the children to learn about God in a fun environment. Aren't we trying to create happy memories? The kids aren't only hearing the lessons, they are watching our actions. Let's let our lights shine!

* Prayer.

Children are precious to me. I pray for them to be saved, to have good home lives, and to let God's love see them through each day.

* Rest.

The exciting week always, always exhausts me! I will be taking naps and taking it easy.

Did you go to VBS as a child? What are your best memories?

Have a terrific day!

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