VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Pam and I worked at Vacation Bible School at our church in Nashville this week and boy did we have our hands full. The atmosphere of excited conversation, laughter and squealing was continually at fever pitch. The kids we were leading were just about to go into 4th grade. Let me just say for the record, I have never been jumped on, hugged, asked so many questions and schooled in so many varied techniques of nose picking as I experienced this week. To say it was wonderful would not fully express what Pam and I felt as we loved these little treasures.  
I recognized myself as I watched a little hyperactive boy who was constantly on the move, racing around the pews, crawling under the pews, saying whatever came into his little head and smiling all the time. It might have driven someone else to distraction, but I knew him… and he was beautiful to me. In crafts his artistic flair was evident and he was unusually quiet as he hyper focused on the tasks that were asked of him. During the music section while all the kids were learning the dance moves, he was looking at the loudspeakers and talking to himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t know the words to the songs or the moves for that matter…because when I asked him to move up from the back row onstage, he knew every word and movement. It was just that he was busy in his own world, sorting things out in his own way.  
The girls were as sweet as sweet can be. They ignored the antics of the boys and really seemed a bit more mature…but I think that’s kinda normal in “kid world”. We had a group of workers from Slovakia that made the week extremely interesting to me. The children attending VBS were literally from all over the world, either having moved here with their families, adopted or visiting. I was brought to tears so many times during the week as I heard from these children. You could see the training and background of these kids as you observed their behavior. I just wanted to hug and love on them, but I had to be careful because any action of mine might possibly be misconstrued. I love hugging…EVERYONE…but Pam wisely cautioned me about that….and no pictures. I understand the why, yet for me it was a real exercise in restraint. But it’s over now…and I need a nap…a real long nap!!!!