Trust is simple. Not easy, but simple. Even when there is much evidence and motivation for the object you may choose to put your trust in, there is something intimate about trust.
God has demonstrated His trustworthiness in my life in innumerable circumstances. Yet, trusting Him to orchestrate the details of the VBS teaching on Tuesday was a trust fall for me.
Children filed into our church surrounded by cornfields. About 130 children actually. Most are familiar with Harvest Fellowship church leaders but many have never walked through our doors or only visit this third week of July each year. These children, these eyes searching for entertainment-because, let's be honest, how many come searching Truth?- they are expecting me to give them something they hadn't come in with. To give them a clearer picture of what Jesus is. I told them yesterday that He is trust.
The worship is on cue. Leaders lead. Children sing. Watch. Praise.
The music lowers and the actors that practiced diligently for days file on stage. I watch closely, hoping I can some how bridge the gulf of their presentation of God Is Holy to my object lesson. I breathe. Then can hardly breathe. The skit seems to slow down a bit, as if I'm the only one observing, as I watch in amazement as the very lesson I changed only hours before was demonstrated in detail on the stage.
Though we had not coordinated this lesson actually coordinated different lessons, somehow (hmm, I wonder how?!), on the toughest lesson of the week, our demonstrations of holiness mirrored each other exactly. EXACTLY.
It was on of those goose bump moments. One of those, I-gotta-tell-someone moments.
....
The lesson I taught went beautifully for the four year olds. Again for the fives. And six and sevens. Finally for the seven and eight year olds. Seventy sets of ears heard that teaching and had no idea of the way it was lined up. No thought of the faith.
Sadly, by the end, I started to wonder myself. Is it really that miraculous of an event? Seriously, it was just one lesson....
Woooo weeeee!
Last week was a whirlwind crazy-busy week of VBS for our church in the country. I was roped into given the privilege of creating and teaching the BibleStudy curriculum for about seventy 4-8 year olds.
The five days spent investing into these young impressionable lives went swimmingly! The only hiccup for me, personally, was the sinus infection/cold/allergies (someone please tell me how to know the difference) that hit like a sledge hammer on Wednesday. I was in bed before 9pm both Wednesday and Thursday night, complete with snoring. Sunday's recoperations included a two hour nap!
However, before the gailstorm of congestion, sore throat, sneezing, and watery eyes, events worthy of attention fell upon our VBS group. I write them here as a testament to the simple profound love and guidance of the Lord in our lives.
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The week's focus was on the character of God. To concentrate on who the God of the Bible declares himself to be. An outline of attribute was compiled:
God is trustworthy,
God is holy,
God is just,
God is forgiving,
God is love
Monday's lesson on trust included a trust-fall and exploring evidence of the Lord's trustworthiness. The truth is, trust is not difficult to explain. Four year olds easily understand that falling is scary UNLESS there is someone you trust waiting to catch you!
Holiness, however, is a much broader idea. Or maybe much less familiar. And this unfamiliar truth about God was my responsibility to demonstrate on Tuesday.
Months ago, I organized my object lessons, listed needed materials, and handed a rough rough draft to our skit lady. The plan was to explain the story of Moses being called in the dessert. Burning bush. God's holy mountain. Remove your shoes.
Fast forward to ONE day of trust lessons with twelve 4 year olds, and I had a good idea that this was not going to be effective.
I prayed. Pleaded God for direction. As 8:00pm became nine and then ten, an idea emerged. A simple lesson that I had tested two years ago with great response. A picture of holiness as 'pure'ness, 'clean'ness. Contrast this with the filth of sin. It is an effective visual. I felt a great relief, reasonably sure the lesson was a direction from God. Still, there was a slight hesitation...
See, the skit and the lessons work hand in hand as a flow of thought. I wouldn't have the opportunity to inform the skit director of the change and she wouldn't have the chance to rewrite it even if i could.
Slowly, I am learning that obedience is the best position to be in. Hadn't I just taught that God can be trusted?!
To be continued....
We started with a bitty idea. My daughters, 4 and 6 years old, are at a ripe age to explore the principles of generosity, sympathizing with the needs and pains of others, and the command to give. We began by planting a seed: we read an autobiography on George Mueller.
Their eyes widened at his courage and hearts wondered at his faith. I extended an invitation for their help. Truthfully, I was to be involved as little as possible. We brainstormed together- the 4, 6, and 32 year olds.
A plan emerged. The girls would craft necklaces to sell at our garage sale. All money raised from this free will donation would be directly donated to Gospel for Asia.
They set their own goals. Mia wanted to raise $2 to purchase two tracts. Eva hoped to gain $20 to buy one blanket. We prayed.
If I am honest, I truly thought they may raise $5 with the help of my parents. But, it wasn't the dollar amount that I was striving toward. The entire process was working to concoct beautifully generous hearts in a magical way that none of my lectures could achieve.
The garage sale operated on two consecutive weekends. I am not exaggerating when I say that NO money was raised the first weekend! Yet, the kids were not in the least disappointed!
The first day of the second weekend, customers' attentions were drawn to the shines necklaces. That evening, we counted $22 and a small amount of change... Nearly exactly what they had set out to raise!!
The following day, they more than doubled their earnings. In the end, their father matched the generosity given by strangers and a grand total of $112 was laid down to give away!
It can be, of course, true that the more mindful you are of a certain thing, the more you begin to find how obvious it has been all along if you had been observant. Five days ago, I published questions about the description and definition of faith. Each day, my sensitivity to this word has grown to the place where I hear it clearly in other's passing conversation and see it boldly in random readings.
Today a friend shared, ''Faith: it does not make things easy... It makes them possible.' I like this. It is comfy.
But (sigh), the reference was then given of Luke 1:37. Luke 1:37 speaks of possibilities. It brags on the sheer might of my Lord. But faith?
I searched forward and then backward a few verses.
Reading one verse alone is like gazing only at the hat of Frank Sinatra and calculating the moral nature to resonate from this performing gentleman. While his fedora surely points (accurately) to a specific time and culture, character far exceeds appearance. Similarly, one verse alone, may point to a specific conclusion but sure accuracy can not be gained without knowledge of the passage at large.
What a delight to read Luke chapter 1! Go ahead. Read it for yourself. Faith? I think so!
More faith verses that I am studying (in context of the larger passage, of course)...
Romans 1:17
Romans 10:17
Luke 24:32
2 Peter 1:5-7
Prayer is not a personal strength of mine. It is embarrassing and difficult to admit that.
It is a skill that I have persued through study and practice throughout the last four years. I often find it overwhelming to pray. Isn't prayer one of the most vulnerable and raw positions that one can assume? It is for me.
- more on this later -
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In faith, we have chosen together, as a family, to pray over situations and circumstances that lend us to anxiety...
Three weeks ago, we became aware that our family checkbook could not be found. We searched. Passively passed blame softly in each other's direction. Searched again... With no prize.
We prayed disingenuous words and hoped the blue treasure would reveal itself. As two weeks passed, it became more and more difficult to proceed without check writing ability. My husband gathered the kids to pray once more, with earnest, and made preparations to continue our finances.
Last night, as I lie in a half dream-discombobulated state, my Love entered the bedroom to announce his surprise... The lost checkbook had been found.
Money management continues. Balances corrected. A blessing of answered prayer.
Only yesterday, I, with great care, gathered my thoughts into questions begging a definition and description of faith.
Today, I lie reading. Not researching my questions but in respite, soaking in quiet, sustaining devotions. And I read:
Real faith isn't the belief that God will do a particular thing; real faith is the conviction that God is good, no matter what He does and however He chooses to answer our prayers.*
Should I be surprised at this answer offered at suspiciously coincidental timing? Isn't this the journey I am looking for?
*quote from Trust: A Godly Woman's Adornment by Lydia Brownback
Faith:
A) Trust in that which is impossible to prove.
B) Confidence, hope, belief.
C) Acceptance of divine authority.
D) Other
My question, truly, is: What does FAITH look like? But does that not beg a definition of faith itself?
Would vivid descriptions of color patterns help me accurately comprehend the grace and majestic grander of a giraffe if my limited experience led me to assume giraffe referenced an article of clothing?
Similarly, a miscommunication of the most basic elements of faith would consequently defigure any visual of it that I aim to portray.
Someone please clearly verbalized the raw elements of faith to me!
