Kingdom Rock

     It's here again.  I can hardly believe a year has passed since our last Vacation Bible School when I was critiquing my non-classroom.  This year, we are moving on up because not only do I have a classroom with air conditioner, but it also has a bathroom, an itty bitty kiddie bathroom, but still.

 I think I'm moving into my 13th summer working with children and teaching them anything I can about Jesus' love for them.  It's always such a wild week that carries so much anticipation.  The night before we started, Elijah couldn't sleep. Which I know doesn't hold as much weight if you know him; he can rarely sleep; but he was so pumped up with what was to come, who he was to see, what he was to do.  And even though Kenny and I were up past midnight planning our Games and Imagination Station classes (respectively) that we slacked til the last minute, I was pumped up too.

      I love so many things about the week -- and these are only a few.   I love the sea of yellow shirts as the kids walk through the hallways, all with the same "Kingdom Rock" slogan.  I love the chaos of day one and the hundreds of questions of where's and when's.  I love the loud music and motions that my children will sing for the rest of the summer.  I love the traditions of this week. I love that after every day of VBS, my kids think (and rightly so) that we will meet friends at Chick-fil-A or McDonald's and stay for two hours so we can debrief the day.  I love that this week of church-going means as much to our friends as it does to our family. I love the preschool kids I get to teach, especially those who blurt out the best, and most unrelated comments.  (Side note:  today I asked the kids a time when they were feeling sunk - low, bad, sad. etc.  This kid jumped up, twirled around a few times and did a spastic dance. All I can say is, "Great dance.  Nice idea.")  I love the fast-paced day where one class cycles in only to be replaced by another one, no time for a water break much less a potty break in the itty bitty potty.  (I would maybe like a water break.)  I love that the theme of the day is standing strong in Christ -- and showing kids that they aren't alone.  That they have a God who loves them more than anything else in the world, that he would send his Son just for them. Yes, especially that.  Every kid needs to know that.  Every adult needs to know that.  And I get to help remind them.

       That's what I love.