Thank you letter to VBS

It’s the last day of Vacation Bible School (VBS) Eve, not recognized as a High Holy on the Christian calendar, but I may start a petition.

I’m going way out on a grapevine here: we VBS volunteers are tired. Bone tired.

But we will survive. And if we don’t, that’s ok. We’ll go to heaven for eternity where “tired” isn’t a thing. Surely…

So, in my squinty bloodshot eyes, and totally ripping off Jimmy Fallon and Jen Hatmaker in one fell swoop (please forgive me, I know y’all are Christians, too), I’m writing some thank you notes…

Dear VBS,

Thank you for letting me pretend to be an octopus mama for a night. As I washed and dried 100 socks for a tie-dye craft that loosely connected to the Bible lesson for the next day, it didn’t fall on deaf tentacles as I sorted them all. I’m doing this out of an act of love, kids, just like Mama Octopus does her little octopi. I love you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you.

Thank you for making the second or so full week of my summer break feel like the first week of school. Name tags and registration and crying, nervous teachers children and ALARM CLOCKS (that I KNOW ARE NOT IN HEAVEN, Jesus wouldn’t.have.it.) and a little bit of controlled chaos–it’s the doppelgänger to the beginning of school. I’m rethinking the end of the year gifts given to my kids’ teachers. They deserved more.

Thank you for being the cheapest daycare on the planet mission field that you are. These precious children are worn out from following rules in a classroom setting. VBS allows us to be “flexible.” No, I’m not clenching my teeth whilst delivering the day’s message. Stop flicking those beads at me. Jesus said so. Is it noon yet?

Thank you for making me feel as old as Methuselah. The children of my favorite VBS counselors are now counselors helping out in classes that I’m leading. Time is a vacuum. A vacuum that sucks the metabolism out of you and the collagen around your eyes. Wrinkles from time.

Thank you for giving us an opportunity to love on some kids. We’re tired, but our prayers have been that all of these children of all colors and all different ability levels and from all of the walks of life know that God loves them just the way He created them. Sins and warts and all. HE LOVES YOU!

And thank you for helping us warty volunteers remember that, too, VBS. You give us a week to see a glimpse of how beautiful heaven will be one day, as the souls we have the privilege of leading and shepherding for these few hours aren’t that different from what it will be…

Thank you. Now I’m going to sleep.