VBS Week Insights

We had a wonderful week of Vacation Bible School with very good attendance. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and I pray that many seeds were planted. As with anything like this, it was a learning experience. For the past few years I was in charge of crafts, but this year I moved over to the 5th and 6th grade class to assist my friend Penny.

I learned:

• Out of 17 5th and 6th graders, only 2 did not have cell phones. It is amazing, but I did not have a cell phone any of the years I attended VBS and amazingly my parents knew where I was and someone was always there to pick me up. Plus, although not a metropolitan city, we do have phones at our church in case of emergency.
  
  
• It only takes one day to decide to "go together". When I saw one of the boys leaving on his bike, he was alone. Certainly his new girlfriend could have rode on the handlebars because I kept hearing them say they were going together. I am just not sure where they were going.
  
  
• Getting up and being somewhere every morning on time with 2 young boys is hard for a gal who aside from church on Sunday morning does not have to be somewhere at a required time every day. I must say there was a lot of running around, screaming through the house to brush hair, teeth, put on shoes while I was putting on make-up. At times it was frustrating. Then, as we were on the way to church, my 5-year-old always asked what my Bible story was for the day. After one tough morning, I realized that Little Buckaroo was asking for a story of someone who showed God's love and character, but my life was the book report that he was seeing lived out. Note to self: When doing a book report on THE book, know the book and live THE book.
  
  
• During the third day at Bible School I was struggling with my own ability to lead. We had to separate the boys from the girls because frankly their hormones were raging and all they were worried about was if a boy was looking at them or if he or she was going to call them later. I was having a hard time getting the kids to follow my directions. When I was a public relations professional before kids, I feel that I was very capable in my job, I was a good leader. I got a little frustrated and overwhelmed, thinking how could I not have control over these kids? Have I lost all the skills I worked so hard to hone while I was a working professional?
  
  This week reminded me that leadership is a skill that requires work and humility and patience and time. I felt like I was herding cats on Wednesday, but I accepted my own failings. I learned that ONLY Jesus is a born leader. The rest of us are fated to struggle and study and wait for our own leadership abilities to develop. Through work, experience, and maturity we can all learn to lead like Christ, who led minimally, fairly, and honestly, with little flair, but words that are simple and to the point.
  
  
• The motions to the songs are like an aerobic work-out and I am not in shape! Plus, I can't sing, which all the kids figured out pretty quickly. I am going to start training for next year now.

O.K. enough already, but I want to give a little Park Wife parenting advice. What was that? A huge sigh? Well, this is my blog so here it goes.

Please send your child to VBS, you never know what seeds are being planted, how their life can change. Mother's of daughters, please teach them to not give their hearts and emotions away to every boy who comes along, the same goes for the mom's of boys.

Also, if you put little halter dresses or short skirts on your girls when they are 6 and think it is so cute, don't complain when they are 13 and filling out that they want to wear tank tops and short skirts. Your daughter's dress often reflects her heart. What's in her heart is important. If the desire for acceptance from other girls, boys and society in general is in her heart, then she'll be tempted to dress in a provocative manner. If pleasing God and her parents is in her heart, then she'll be able to resist those temptations to dress sensual. And, she will be "different" and that is alright!!!! We are called to be different from this world. So, dress your little ones modestly now, or you are going to have not only a fashion battle on your hands in a few years, but a heart battle.

If you have boys, please teach them early how to turn their eyes away from these girls, to keep their hearts pure.

Also, be careful with these cell phones parents, they are not being used for good. Texting very inappropriate things that they would never be comfortable saying from their mouths. Oh, I know what you are saying, my daughter only has a cell phone to call me in an emergency. Believe me, I watched these girls, this is not all they are doing. Don't be naive, it is a temptation that these children are not resisting.

If any little girl EVER calls one of my boys, they will be told it is inappropriate for a young lady to call boys. Am I a prude? Maybe so, but I also want my boys to have a pure heart when they find the one God has made just for him. It is not "cute" when 6-year-old children are "going together" or having an "innocent" little kiss on the playground. Do you not see the danger in this? If they give their heart away, their bodies will be next!

O.K. I am stepping off my soap box now.

I am thankful for God's grace in my life and that I have received wise counsel from some wonderful people He has put in my life. I hope that I was able to pass on even a little bit of wisdom to these kids last week and showed them God's unfailing love.

Recuperating,
The Park Wife