Become like children

This whole past week, Attila and I have been putting on Vacation Bible School (along with other volunteers, of course).  As much as it was stressful to plan this year (we were NOT as organized as last year, but do the kiddies care?) we have had fun and have been in awe of the purity and innocence of these beautiful children.  It is such a joy to work with them and to learn from them.  These kids are our friends, really.  We had a woman from the diocese come check out our VBS program yesterday and she made a really good point.  VBS is usually 15 hours for one week in the summer.  Religious ed. on Sundays during the school year lasts about 30 ish weeks and each session is usually about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  VBS is half that!  It really is a great tool to teach the children about our faith in the middle of the school break, and to surround them with God's love and His grace.  We had such a great group of kiddos who were soaking up anything we tell them about the Lord.  And we had water games.  What else do you need, really?!

I have some good memories of VBS from when I was little.  Planning the crafts and seeing everything come together this week gets me so excited for when our little James is ready to engage his faith like this.  The crafts alone get me thinking of so many crafts that I can do with him at home!  And he survived this week.  He was barely home during the daytime, he witnessed the stress of his parents, and he's been introduced to a large group of crazy, loud children.  Today, he spent some time with two of our little friends who are 7 and 8.  He loooooved watching them run around.  He would sit, watch them with excitement, and move his little legs so fast, wishing he could join them.  Too cute!

Praise God.  "The disciples asked Jesus, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?  He called a child, whom he put among them and said, 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever welcome one such child in my name, welcomes me."  Matthew 18:2-5