I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

The theme for our Vacation Bible School this year was Colossal Coaster World….Facing Fear, Trusting God.

I try to help with decorations each year.  But….this year I had a bigger task than usual.  Interesting that the theme was on fear….because that is what I began to battle.  I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get it all done, and that it would be a disappointment to all the kids who would come.

I found myself waking up at 1:00 a.m….weeks before, worrying about all the details.  Sounds silly to worry about such things….but isn’t that the case with most of the things we worry about?  When you step back and look at whatever it is….in hindsight….it was silly to worry so much.

I found myself having lots of talks with the Lord at these unusual hours of the night.  I suppose that is one of the good things that comes from my fearfulness….I take time to talk to God more.  I truly believe that He cares about everything that I care about.  So, even the little things that concern me and get me all worked up are His concerns too.  I am just glad that He knows me well enough to be able to show me how NOT to be worrying about such minor, unnecessary worries.

I remember my Mom saying…. just do your best.  Through the years I have realized that if you REALLY do your best…..than it usually works out.  Different people have different talents so my best at something may not come out to be as good as someone else could do that same thing.  I find though that I don’t really give too many things my very best effort.  If something doesn’t turn out very good on the first or second try…then….well it isn’t for me.  I laugh to myself and say that I am a frustrated perfectionist.  I would like for things to turn out perfect….but…they don’t so I get frustrated and move on to something else.  A true perfectionist would keep trying I suppose.

I was in a Bible study group this past fall and we went through the book of Genesis.  This thought came to mind this week as I was cutting the grass.  Odd I know, but I had lots of time to think.   After God created Adam and Eve…He said….it is very good.  I’m glad he didn’t just go…eh….that’s good enough.

I was in class with a woman at church a few years ago.  She impressed me with her knowledge.  Yet, she seemed to be craving more….it was like she couldn’t get enough.  You could tell that she did a lot of studying and searching the scripture from one class time to the next.  She shared one day that she was not raised in a Christian home.  They never went to church as a family.  One year she went to Vacation Bible School when the church bus rolled around through her neighborhood.  That was the only exposure she had growing up.  She didn’t stay in church and actually stayed way away from it for a long time.  Many years later, when she was in her 40’s she became a Christian.  She remarked that because of that exposure to the gospel earlier in her life, it spoke to her and changed her life many years later.  She had been a Christian for a few years when I had this class with her.  I thought that was a really neat story.  However, that story became a WOW story later.  Suddenly she got cancer and died not too long after she shared that with our class.  Now…. she was experiencing heaven…one of the many things she had been studying.  WOW…..

While preparing for VBS I would get overwhelmed by all the “stuff” I had to do…. I got a little critical….in my mind.  I would think…it’s just a week.  This is a lot of work for just a week long program.  Then I was reminded……reminded that lives are changed in that week long program.       Changed for eternity…..

While I was working on one of my “things” I was using an overhead projector……I am dating myself by saying that.  A lot of the young people have no clue what that is.

It can project something onto a wall so that you can make it bigger.  Here I was making a letter bigger for a sign.  I was tracing the letter onto a piece of cardboard while it was projected onto the wall.

As I traced my letter a HUGE spider came crawling towards me.  I gasped and jumped and was trying to swat at it.  Suddenly, I realized that it was on the machine not the wall.  It was a TINY little spider walking across my letter stencil.  It only looked HUGE because it was being magnified.  I had to laugh.  I felt pretty silly reacting the way I did.  I thought about the theme for VBS…”fear”.  Once again…I was reminded that things are often not as big and scary as they seem.  Most things do not warrant the fear and anxiety that I tend to allow into my thoughts.

2 Timothy 1:7
King James Version

I got rid of the spider and carried on with my letters.

Tested one out with the red paint I wanted to use and was ready to go to the next project.

I made some snow cones out of styrofoam balls, then I painted with spray paint.

That was fun and easy….

Made some cotton candy out of fiberfill…and more spray paint.

A sign stating how tall you must be…for the “rides”….

That was easy with the overhead projector’s help…..

and a Popcorn display to go by the popcorn machine.

But then came the hard stuff….the roller coaster….that was the stuff I was really sweating.

Billy’s talent is …..building….and constructing…so….he did the coaster for me.

This was NOT an easy one to do.  I am so thankful God tugged on Billy’s heart.  He used his God given talents…..and that in turn that helped me.

He is good with things like this.  Amazing how fear of it turning out….vanished.

The kids always get a kick out of seeing the staff’s pictures placed somewhere in the decorating.

They were put into the roller coaster car.

I was really glad that Riley, Andy and Layla were all able to attend and had a blast.

Layla got to ride the bus, she was very excited!!!!

I happened to catch her on the last day as she was getting off.

I asked her if she had fun…she posed for the camera and said… oh…yes!

And Me Me I made this hat and oh yeah….

And with that…. she remembered that there was going to be a party that night for the grand finale….

In mid sentence she headed toward the door to tell her daddy all about it.

Hey Daddy….Hey Daddy there’s going to be a party!  She was just a little excited……..

I headed on to church to help take down some of the decorations so that the church could be somewhat normal for Sunday Services.   The finale for that night was going to be held outside.

As I pulled into the parking lot….. I was ashamed of my critical thinking early on.

There they were….staff…and other volunteers…setting things up.  Hours before the event.  Most of them had not even gone home.  They had arrived early that morning and would not go home until at least  8 p.m.,  after everything was taken back down and put away.

They had to be tired….they had to be hot….but there they worked….. tirelessly, after a whole week of this.

Children came back….parents and grand parents came with them.

There were lots of things to do….volunteers manned booths.

Layla as well as many others were excited to attend that party they had been waiting for….

Andy and Riley headed out for some vacation time after VBS so they weren’t at the party….but I know they all had fun and learned a lot through the week.

All the kids sang songs they had learned, songs  they will remember most of their lives.  Hopefully they will reflect on what they learned this week and it will impact their decisions and actions for the rest of their life.  Possibly even for eternity.

It touched my heart to see the great turn out.

Billy and I worked the Funnel Cake table.  I know that we served over three hundred from our table alone.

I was once again humbled and reminded….I shouldn’t have worried so much.  I just need to do my best and God will work out the details.

Besides…. God doesn’t really NEED my help.  But when He allows me to be involved….I receive a blessing….every time.