ROAR -- When Life is Wild -- God is Good!

Last year I heard about the exciting and fun-filled times that were had by the kids and the adult and teen volunteers at Vacation Bible School at my church. With all that enthusiasm, I didn’t want to miss out this year so early on, I enlisted! And, I am so glad I did. Today is the third day and, I’ll be honest, I think I'm getting as much out of this week as the kids are. I am on a “Faith Station” team with another adult volunteer and three teen volunteers who make up the narrators, actors and prop crew. There are four other Faith Station teams who also teach individual groups of kindergarteners through 5th grade. So altogether, we work with about 400 kids a day and then pre-school has another group of children.

There are 440 kids, 158 teen volunteers, and 155 adults. The VBS theme is ROAR and we are having a ROAR-ing great time. If you went to VBS as a kid, you’ll probably remember some of the fun, and most importantly, you probably remember the impact of hearing the messages of faith and overcoming life’s challenges. Like me, you were probably left with an indelible imprint of a time when your life-course pointed in the direction of following Christ the rest of your life.

We all have said, at one time or another, “God is good – all the time! All the time – God is good!” The theme of this VBS is built around those words. Some times we mindlessly say those words – but this week, I’m seeing those words go to a whole new level as we declare: “When life is wild – God is good!” And, as we all know – YES, life can get pretty wild! The building is covered in wild African animal prints and cut-outs, waterfalls, grass, skies, sun, and African jungle music is being played and relatable songs are sung with lots of hilarious shenanigan moments.

Monday, our Wild Bible Adventure theme was “When life is unfair – God is good!” It took us back to a time when the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians. After 400 years of horrific slavery, Moses was trying to work to make things better for them, but his efforts made Pharaoh really angry! So he punished God’s chosen people even more! It was so unfair! I loved it when a 3rd-grade boy raised his hand and asked "Why didn't they move to America?"

The words, “When life is unfair – God is good”, were repeated through the morning assembly, the faith station, imagination station, music station, and the outdoor station. This is not my VBS from years ago – when flannel board figures were the highlight, as well as kool-aid and cookies. But, even in that “ancient” time, this little girl was impacted so much that here I am wanting to pass along the message. I would say that’s “seed time and harvest” – especially as I see these precious children soaking in the message of the goodness of God.

Yesterday’s theme was “When life is scary – God is good!” This day was about Moses continuing to beg Pharaoh to let God’s people go and each time he refused, another plague fell on the Egyptians. We meticulously, and hilariously led the kids through each of the ten plagues from the river turning into blood, to the last plague of the death of the firstborn Egyptian sons and the remarkable protection over all of the Israelites throughout each plague and the Passover.

This is just a brief overview of our first couple of days of pouring into these precious children the goodness of God in whatever situation they may be in. How’s that for empowering our kids during summer break for the next school year when they’ll come into plenty of opportunities to remember that God is so good no matter what they may face? It's a work-out, no doubt, but the rewards we reap, in the light of eternity, in focused training and disciple role modeling carries on from generation to generation. "We will tell the next generation about the Lord’s power and great deeds and the miraculous things he has done.” (Psalm 78:4)

What I Learned in our History Class

My 11-year-old grandson and I checked off “completed” by his home-school subjects one-by-one yesterday. I get to be his “substitute” teacher when His mom is away. The best part is I find that I learn as much as he does when we’re “in class”. Some of his curriculum (i.e., American History, geography, and reading) are interwoven in subject matter which ties an era together.

Presently, he is studying the 1850’s to the 1870's which looks closely at our Country during turbulent, violent years between the North and the South that led to the deadly Civil War. We were appalled as we uncomfortably read about slavery and how divided the states were about being pro or anti-slavery. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed all persons held as slaves in states of the rebellion “forever free” by The Emancipation Proclamation.

We were both moved, as we read the true story of young Harriet Tubman who was born into slavery and finally escaped because of her strong will and courage. “Someday,’ she said, “I’m going to be free.” And, she was. Then, as we read from the book “Across Five Aprils”, I was literally brought to tears when we read this excerpt because it was just so close "to home" today:

Shadrach, with his large eyes grave with sympathy said, "I wonder what the President is thinking." Jethro replied, "I guess Ole’ Abe has troubles over and above any of us." "MR. Lincoln, Jeth.” He would remember the rebuke to the end of his days. He would remember, and he would feel ashamed at the memory, but still, he would wonder. People – smart people, one would suppose since they printed newspapers and drew pictures for them – spoke of the President as “the baboon,” “the ugly, ignorant, backwoods Lincoln,” and other names as vicious and expressive of hate. Under no circumstance would he, Jethro Creighton, show disrespect to the President. “I think a lot of Mr. Lincoln,” he stated in quiet self-defense after a while. “I know you do, Jeth.” “Lots of people don’t. I could name you people that hate him like poison.” “Not only in this neighborhood – not only in the South, either. It seems that people everywhere are criticizing him. The abolitionists hate him as much as the sympathizers of the South do. People blame him for the mistakes of his generals; and they’re just as bitter about his grammar, his appearance, his family.” “I’m no wise enough to measure Mr. Lincoln, Jeth; I just don’t know. But I have a feeling of confidence and faith in him that I can’t always justify. Sometimes I’m angered with him as others are; sometimes I can’t understand him. But somehow my faith in him always comes back.”

I know you must know what I was thinking as I read those words about the divided country and the animosity for its President, and as we all know, President Abraham Lincoln became one of the most beloved presidents of all times. It often feels like we live in the worst times as we daily watch the news of wars, various factions who love, hate, honor, dishonor, protest or pro-act. Since the beginning of time, there has been always been conflict. What do we do with it all in this year of 2018? I like to think that the final lines from that book state where we should be: “Somehow my faith in HIM ((I insert God, here) always comes back.” Placing our trust in the ONE who knew ALL back in the BC and AD, in the 1800’s and now, the 2000’s. He is still overseeing it all, and is at the helm of this great big wonderful, and oftentimes, troubled world.

I don’t know what to make of all the craziness in our world today. But I do know Who holds our todays and tomorrows, and who holds our hands through it all. "History is in-the-making" today for generations to come. Frankly, I want to claim my place in history. I hope to be one who believed in something so strongly that I made a difference. I like to live knowing that this world is not my home, and the history I made was doing the things that mattered on earth because it matters in heaven. Loving, giving, caring, being kind, tender-hearted, morally centered, loving God and my neighbor just might be the way to make history that really matters. Choosing which side of history we'll be on should sure make us want to choose wisely.

Amazing Grace -- How Sweet the Sound

I turned on my TV first thing yesterday morning and the top story was an 8.1 earthquake had struck Mexico in the night, leaving one million people without power. Mexico's president called it the strongest quake his country had seen in a century. Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma is coming -- the second-strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. And to make matters worse, Hurricane Jose is strengthening and threatens islands devastated by Irma. LORD, HAVE MERCY!!!

Just after I had seen that news, I started my morning readings in Isaiah 43 and these words came alive. "Should you pass through the waters, I shall be with you." God is with us. It is His voice that I hear saying, "You need Me!" And Jeremiah 29:13 says "If you will seek Me, you will find Me."

Whoever you are, no matter what faith you have, or have not, you have undoubtedly heard the song, "Amazing Grace". You probably even know some of the words and can sing along.
The song was written by a former slave trader, John Newton. His early days as a philanderer in the British navy to his conversion of faith and taking up the abolitionist cause is the basis for the song.

While Newton was serving on a slave ship, the ship was caught in a horrendous storm off the coast of Ireland and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and, as the ship filled with water, called out to God. The cargo shifted and stopped up the hole, and the ship drifted to safety. Newton took this as a sign from the Almighty and marked it as his conversion to Christianity. The date was March 10, 1748, an anniversary he celebrated for the rest of his life.

After returning to England, Newton and his wife, dramatically confronted the Prince of Wales and urged him to abolish the cruel slavery practice. In 1764, he was ordained as an Anglican priest and wrote 280 hymns to accompany his services. He wrote the words for “Amazing Grace” in 1772. He later went on to renounce his former slaving profession and wrote a pamphlet that described the horrific conditions on slave ships and apologized for waiting so long to stand up for what was right. Under the leadership of William Wilberforce, the English civil government outlawed slavery in Great Britain in 1807 and Newton lived to see it, dying in December of that year.

John Newton had some glitches in his life. He was a philanderer and a slave trader. St. Paul had some glitches. He was a Christian persecutor. King David was an adulterer and murderer. St. Peter was a coward and denied Christ. The Bible is full of those who had glitches. We all have glitches -- maybe that come from a dysfunctional family tree, but God uses those glitches to turn us into radical followers of Christ that when the storms come and the ships of our lives nearly sink, we STAND. And, we not only stand, but we become those who sing the loudest and most heartfelt -- "AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but NOW I SEE!" I pray for that AMAZING GRACE to all those facing storms of life and heart today.