Redemption

After Wednesday's stressful Bible school session, yesterday was a day of redemption. I talked to the VBS coordinator about the problem I had with the one group and I altered my lesson slightly in a way that would ensure the leaders would need to stay with their kids and the kids would have to sit in their own groups. I also took the time to pray before my problem kids came in. I asked God to give me patience while working with them and please help me reach their hearts while I shared the story of Christ's crucifixion.

When the group that had given me so much grief the day before came in, I told them that today's story was very important and very serious, so I needed them to respect me by not touching my props and by listening to me, and they needed to respect each other by keeping their hands to themselves and not talking so their friends could listen. It worked! The group behaved really well - in fact, I think they might have been my best group of the afternoon.

The telling of the story wasn't all that complex. I didn't use a lot of props, but the kids listened. When I asked them to dig their fingernails into their scalps and imagine how more a crown of thorns would hurt, I saw them grimace in pain. When I showed them the largest nails I could find and explained that the nails used to hang Jesus on the cross where even bigger, their eyes got wide and when I held my palm out and placed one of the nails right where it would have pierced Jesus, they grimaced. I had each child write their name on a piece of paper and during a quiet moment, everyone laid their name at the foot of the cross to remember that Jesus loved each and every one of them so much that he died for them. It was a lovely, somber moment.

Then we turned to the back of the room where I had created a tomb of sorts using some helium balloons resting on boxes and covered with a sheet. It really did look like a shrouded body. In fact, one girl in one of the groups gasped, "Is that really Him?" When I removed the sheet, the balloons floated up, reminding us of Christ in Heaven and that we should celebrate the eternal life we have in Him.

I had total buy-in with the kids in nearly every group and one of the leaders/guides left with tears in her eyes. I ended the day feeling so good and so positive. For the first time this week I felt like there was a real connection. I was reminded that I am doing God's work and these stories that are being shared can be life changing. It was a great day.