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The VBS Crown
by Julie Arduini While many families head to the beach, family reunions or camps, there also is a large segment of population that serves with Vacation Bible School. For those in the know, it's VBS. I'd like to think of the VBS worker as a "Very Beautiful Servant". I've taught VBS age groups from toddler age through sixth grade. I know the clock says from nine to noon but each worker, every day is drained. Oh the kids have energy from their juice and cookies, but the workers? Exhausted. But they get up and do it all over again the next day. What most VBS workers realize is the eternal impact their time and love results in. I can't tell you how many groups I've been a part of where a leader gives their story and they came from a broken home. They were having a tough time. They went to VBS. And they were loved on, spoiled, fed, hugged, and told the truth about Jesus that at the time, they didn't even really understand. But after the VBS years these folks had choices to make that would alter their lives. They chose the truths they learned in VBS. These folks are now pastor wives, teachers, parents themselves. They give their respect and love back to the VBS worker. I think about heaven a lot (Randy Alcorn's book is my favorite read on the subject so far) and this week watching a church we are familiar with pull off their turn with VBS got me thinking. What kind of glorious crown will the VBS servant receive? I picture it like this. These are the folks who assemble crafts, purchase supplies, sing off key, dance in front of kids, use props to teach a lesson, help with bathroom breaks, blow whistles time and time again for rec, cheer for offerings, create creative means to teach and encourage, organize and coordinate the programs, clean up, set up, take down, referree, wait for kids who have parents arriving late, pray with them, love unconditionally, break barriers of economics, social status, neighborhood and backgrounds all over a skit on Moses. These servants will not receive an ordinary crown. I imagine when they lay their crown at the feet of Jesus the crown will be made of pipe cleaners, pom pom yarn, glitter, glue, squiggly eyes, felt, construction paper, tissue paper, crayons, paper towel cartons, markers, stickers, string, stamps. Every VBS craft supply known to man will be on their crown. In return, the Lord bends down, picks up the crown, and beckons the Very Beautiful Servant to Him. He embraces them with a loving VBS hug and thanks them for the many salvations they were obedient to be a part of, as evidenced in crowds of brothers and sisters in Christ waving their VBS crowns too. Jesus takes that VBS crown and places it on the VBS worker and it transforms to brilliant gems no jeweler could describe or place a value on. That's the impact of the VBS servant.
Julie Arduini, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/, is devoted to writing for Christ in ways that encourage and inspire. A graduate of the Christian Writer's Guild, her writing resume is on her blog's sidebar. Happily married to Tom, they have two children.
@2009 by Julie ArduiniArticle Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |