Lisa Witherspoon with VBS friends
God loves us and created us. God loves us and listens to us. God loves us and protects us. God loves us unconditionally.
Last week, we welcomed almost 100 children to Dino Island for Vacation Bible School, and these were the daily “taglines” they learned, coupled with bible verses, bible stories, and maybe even a few dinosaur facts!
Throughout the week, the children were shepherded, taught, and loved by more than 50 volunteers who ranged in age from 12 to more than 80! Some of the children and most of the volunteers were members of our congregation; many are connected to FPC through our Weekday Preschool; some are friends from the community who found us online or were invited by a neighbor; lots of them come back year after year. We even had a service dog that joined us for the week and a staff member baby that came one day!
I saw college students comforting toddlers, high schoolers laughing with retirees, middle schoolers dancing with kindergarteners, and parents of all ages and stages connecting with each other.
For a few hours each day, we left behind whatever burdens we carried and we left behind the strife of the world. We came together as a community of people who shared in faith as we sang together, danced together, ate together, laughed together, and even solved problems together!!
That’s why VBS is always one of my favorite weeks of the year (albeit a tad exhausting!). No matter how many times I experience it, I am somehow never quite prepared for the overwhelming joy it brings me.
It was (and is) the kingdom of God, embodied and alive. It makes my soul smile and my heart truly full.
