A VBS lady of ill repute....

I will freely admit it. When my kids were very little, I knew where every VBS was in Lower Hudson Valley. I filled out registration cards for at least 4 different weeks of VBS every summer. I didn't grow up with such a thing so when I found out about it, I was on it like white on rice. My kids have done the rocket ship VBS, the Veggie Tale VBS, the crazy car VBS...and I enjoyed the few hours of quiet all to my ownself...There are several terms I could use to describe my penchant for free VBS's... Lets go with the VBS lady of ill repute.

I did not volunteer even once for any of them...no guilt either for that matter. VBS kept me sane all summer long. I could average a VBS every other week for the entire summer...a little bit like camp, learn something about Jesus and nice cold ice coffee for me. AHHHHHHHHHHH...VBS summers of old, now those were the good old days.

I eventually got hoodwinked into serving about 9 years ago at our church. It was a very long week...not just because volunteers at VBS work their tales off, but I do believe the politics of church can just about keep anyone away. Sigh...when will we ever learn?

I've done two or three more of the VBS helper~outer~thing, but I try real hard to just do my job, head down, get in and out with out getting hooked in to any nonsense and go home. Next week I get to serve in the kitchen for VBS at our old church because my dear friend Amy is the director. She would never have asked for help so I asked her what needed to be done...curses, she told me. Her biggest fear was that I would make her pay, by hearing about how I helped her out for all eternity. HMPH. That is all I am going to say out loud....from now on I won't say a word, I will just post it on here every once in awhile...that'll teach 'er! (Insert evil scientist laugh here.)

Of course the single most important thing we can give the kids next week is prayer. We may see some kids come to the alter and accept Christ as their personal Savior and that is why we do these things of course. But imagine a VBS with just quick, "Bless the kids." type of prayers. Now, I have no doubt that prayer can be as simple as just a few words. When Jesus cried out, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." It was not a long doctrinal prayer, meant to impress His Father with all that He knew. It was a prayer that had all of ten words to it, yet it saved us all from our sins. It is the prayer that saves our future from our past.

But in my world, there have been way more "over the kitchen sink" prayers then alone in my "prayer closet" prayers. My prayer journal is safely tucked away on the front seat of my mini-van...since April.

It's not that I have not read The Word at all, I have, online mostly. I've opened my bible...my grocery list was in there. I've prayed...just not the in the carpet, get rug burn on my nose type of prayers.

It has been a busy season of prayer requests coming in, by the dozens, both here in the blogosphere (My friend Michele let me know that I spelled "blogesphere" wrong the other day...excuse me, Michele, it is a made up word so I can spell it however I want! That is why when I majored in English literature in college I went with the poetry angle...ee cummings didn't use any grammar, so either will I! She informed me that the spelling of "blogosphere" would better follow the rules of English...whatever!)....where was I? ADD moment.

Right, prayer has happened, but not the kind that I adore.

It is so easy to just get online in the morning and be very important, writing a blog or checking in on Facebook or checking our accounts or reading how God has moved in some one's life...what about us though? What about He and I?
If I truly believe what the book of Hebrews says about God's Word being alive and active and sharper then any two edged sword...how could I allow myself to not be in it everyday? If that is how I continue to grow up in the Lord, why would I not make it my business to be in to it?

Last night, John and I watched "The Book of Eli"...no doctrinal notes please. Eli took in the Word, everyday for decades. That is why he could stand strong in every battle. That was the point to the post apocalyptic movie anyway. So, Mair, how is it that you are not in The Word, everyday? How do you suppose you will stand strong in every battle? How will you wield The Sword of Truth over the enemy if you don't have the weapons of warfare at your disposal? Prayer warrior? More like an auxiliary arm of the air force. You won't shoot down any MIGS when you are dressed like George Baily in "It's a Wonderful Life" blowing your whistle for someone to turn off the lights during an air raid.

The thing is, the world is full of George Bailys. I am not good at playing George. I want to be an Eli...cinema~phorically speaking of course...God has been so generous to me in all that He has given...and to whom much is given, much will be expected.

I spent much of yesterday and the day before cleaning out my prayer closet. I made it my business to get the battle plans out on the desk with my prayer journal ready, bible opened to Colossians (because that seems to be where He wants me right now) pencil sharpened and a disk in my hand...a disk?

Tune in to read about it...maybe tomorrow, but only if I get my time alone with Jesus as I prepare to give the VBS kids more then just a great snack from the kitchen at church. It will be way more important that we give them a hunger for The Word.

Otherwise, the blogesphere will have to wait.

Be blessed dear ones, and be in The Word.