The Kingdom Has Opened

This morning we began our vacation bible school “Kingdom Rock.” As each child was dropped off, it was becoming more and more exciting to see what God was going to do in them today. I was nervous for many reasons, but more excited than anything. The internship has provided many ways for me to help out in preparation for VBS, and so last week I spent a lot of time transforming the room into a palace: full of rock walls, banners, and crowns! Even I was given the name, “princess Bethany” for VBS. When I walked around to welcome the kids, they totally believed that I was a real princess. Perhaps that is one thing [among many] that I have learned from the kids so far, that we have such amazing imaginations- we should use them. I know, that as I have gotten older, it becomes more difficult to think outside the box. Yet, being with these kids…now this is a different story.

It is as if, that crown and royal cape I put on turned me into an entirely different person. I became a kid again. I became someone that they just were so interested in. When each of the crews came over to me for games, it became even more of a joy; to see everyone work together as teams, have a blast and then come to listen to me give a mini Bible lesson. Oh, how I prayed for these kids, that God would speak to them and that they would feel His love.

There was a time when the children could color and the most precious thing happened: this first week our message was based on David, how he was a shepherd to his sheep, and furthermore how Jesus is our Shepherd. This particular coloring page had David and a lamb on it. Well, one of the little boys takes an orange crayon, looks at me, and says ” I’m going to make the sheep an orange pumpkin!!!” and then he began to laugh hysterically. I just lost it. He was so creative, so enthusiastic, and just had a huge smile on his face. His joy rubbed off on me entirely!

In one of the church services, a grandmother dropped off a child, and he just did not want to stay for VBS by any means. He cried his eyes out so much that I thought there wasn’t going to be any possible way for me to help him. All I did though was extended my opened arms, and he actually came to me. Now, this little guy was one who would sometimes say hi to me, and other times would be shy. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect exactly. However, I felt so loved in those moments where I was holding him on my lap, calming him down and comforting him because it showed me that he could trust me. He truly knew that I wouldn’t let him go and that he was going to be okay.

How perfect the kids represented the story of the day for me. To be creative shows me that the Lord is good, and His creation deserves being something that we get excited over. Also, because the Lord is our Shepherd, whenever we are down, confused, lost, or lonely, He is waiting right where He always has been, with wide opened arms, ready for us to come to Him.

When I look to all that we did today and ask the kids if they like VBS so far, they smile and yell “Yeah! I really really like it!” Being taught by the very same kids that I am teaching is the biggest blessing out of this all.

Kids have the eager heart to learn about their Shepherd and I want that too.