Kari often posts on Fridays about something that is saving her life that week. What she means by that is some way that God has been present and visible to her. She borrowed the idea from a book I’ve been meaning to read
VBS has been saving my life this week. I had planned for the girls to attend one VBS this summer at a sister church 15 minutes away: we don’t have VBS, their friends were going and I knew this particular church would do a great job of communicating truth while having a great time. Then I received my first deadline for a big writing project and it became critical. It was so nice to have dedicated time to write and even meet to edit my finished work thus far, all during VBS. No midnight oil was burned for the first deadline, my stress level was much lower than anticipated, and VBS was certainly a huge factor in making it all happen.
Yesterday as we picked up the kids from their last session, one of the moms from Lexi’s class begged me to sign her up for another VBS next week so her daughter would have a buddy. Two of Kate’s besties from school are also going. I have another deadline in less than two weeks. It’s directly across the street from my favorite Panera to work at with lots of outlets next to booths. Michael’s 6 week long summer school class starts Monday and he’s really busy (as usual, he has never taken a real summer break, teacher style.) So I caved and signed them up.
Thanks to all who volunteer for VBS and allow slackers moms like me to take advantage without judgement. I am very grateful. Kate and Lexi would add their appreciation for every teen VBS volunteer who has ever given them a piggy back ride. (How did that become a VBS thing? I’ve noticed it in Birmingham as well.) I am also thankful to those who write great VBS curriculum that is fun, engaging and teaches the truth.
To all who welcome kids from other churches to VBS, you are saving my life this week. And you are probably saving someone else’s as well.
VBS (or VBC as we call it at our church: Vacation Bible Camp) is a great ministry for moms, isn’t it? Glad you are blessed by yours, Kristen, and I hope your kids come away blessed each day as well.
Tim
P.S. I read “Leaving Church” about 5 years ago. To get my take on it you can read my short review of it at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Church-A-Memoir-Faith/product-reviews/B0058M64I2/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_two?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addTwoStar&showViewpoints=0 .
P.P.S. Jenny Rae Armstrong just posted a guest piece I did stemming from a human trafficking conference my son and I attended recently. It’s part of a short series she did on the subject. I linked it through my name above. Hope you get a chance to take a look.
Love this! VBS made my past week so peaceful, I just loved having quiet mornings.
Thank you for sharing this. I never thought about it this way before. Our little church does free VBS (one of the only ones in the area) and in the past we felt we never had anyone but already-churched folks coming, “VBS-hopping,” so this year we wanted to try something different. But perhaps it was a blessing to so many as it was. Still, it wasn’t meeting our vision for reaching the community, so we are having a family VBS in the evening to try to reach a different group of people. Since I still have young kids, the thought of sending my kids to another church’s VBS really isn’t on my radar yet, but I can see how it can be a blessing to you! And I am glad!