I Samuel 17:37

I had a freak out moment today on the way to kid’s club.  This is the same as Vacation Bible School and you would think after 5 years of VBS that I would be ready to jump in.  But I wasn’t.  I was scared that I was going to fail.  Perhaps, what added to this fear was what happened Sunday.  We went to church, where our mission contact asked some of us to help with the kids.  I jumped at the chance but didn’t realize what I was walking into as the doors closed behind me.  Here I was with one of my teammates, Robin and two other people from another squad left to figure out what to do with about 40 kids who didn’t speak our language.  Luckily we had a translator.  But not so lucky for us, they didn’t really care what the translator was saying.  

 

We tried every kids games you could think of – duck, duck, goose and relays and red light, green light – you name it, we tried it.  We flew through games as quickly as we lost their interest.  The one that lasted the longest was one they came up with.  Perhaps you have heard of it.  It was called pick the grass from the ground and throw it at the Americans.  The reason I think it lasted so long was because who wants to stop a game where you get to watch American’s run up and down a field with their arms flailing about as they yell stop, only to get grass in their mouth because it is open as wide as they can get it to make a word the kids don’t understand come out harsher and stronger.  And by the way, they don’t know what stop means.  But it is funny how I tried to get them to with my tone and my face.  I wished away the time and actually hugged the parents when they came to pick up their kids.  Longest church service ever.  Ever.

 

I walked away from that fiasco, wondering if I should hang up my children’s ministry cleats.  I used to think that I was good with kids.  Until this moment. And it was this moment that made me doubt what we were walking into with Kids Club.  What if I stand up in front of a room full of kids and try to tell them about how Jesus loves them and they run all over me?  What if I let my team down?  And what if all the other World Racers see that I’m not cut out to be here?  Oh, I went there.  

 

But I got some clarity as we were walking the half mile to the church.  I was going over the lesson in my head.  And I actually taught myself the lesson.  It was about David and Goliath.  A great story, but I am still not sure why it is such a standby children’s ministry story.  It ends with a dead guy with no head.  Regardless of that minor detail, it is laced brilliantly with how God can use us.  He can use us if we are willing, no matter who we are or where we came from.  David was a shepherd and a young person.  He should never have even gone near Goliath, but he did.  And the reason he did was because he heard someone talking smack about His God.  And in His young mind, it needed to be taken care of.  And the greatest part of the story comes in verse 37 when he explains to King Saul why he is fit to take on the giant.  “The Lords who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine.”  Oh, the faith.  Oh, the confidence in God.  Oh, the faithfulness of God.  And that is just it.  It was when I rehearsed this point in my mind, that I knew God was faithful.  That I knew I had gone in front of many kids – and God had delivered me from their small fingers time and time again.  And He would again.  And He did.  He is faithful.  And He is good.  Good enough that there were no grass throwing games this time.  Good enough to teach us what didn’t work and what did.  And good enough to allow us to enjoy what He was doing in the lives of these children.  Good enough to let us join Him in His work to teach them about who He is and how He loves us.  Oh, how He loves us!!!