Life is Wild, God is Good
The following is a first hand account of an inside view of the recent VBS held at Oakland Heights Baptist Church. This post was submitted by a special guest author on the blog today, Julia West.
“My Time at VBS”, by Julia West
Some of my fondest memories as a child were attending vacation bible school. It truly was a time during the summer for students to be around their friends, meet new people, and learn more about God. This year, when I saw announcements for vacation bible school, I felt God calling me to volunteer this year. I had been away from home for the past four years at college and I was very excited this year to help out.
I was placed in the craft room with some other wonderful ladies, including my mother Jamie, who also chose to dedicate their evenings to help out with vacation bible school. Coming into the week I was unsure of what to expect but I was eager to see what God had in store. On the very first night God showed me that I was exactly where I needed to be.
Night after night I would put on my bright turquoise shirt and see the phrase “Life is wild. God is good.” Before VBS, I saw the phrase and thought it to be true, but I mainly thought it was a cute shirt. But, during that week God really demonstrated how life is wild. Throughout the week I was presented with “things” that always seem to get in the way of our daily lives: fatigue, confusion, having to change your plans, etc. But every time one of the “things” emerged, God always proved that those “things” were not going to get in the way of VBS. When I was tired, God gave me a room full of energized children to make me laugh and always keep me on my toes. When I was confused, God provided exactly what we needed. When I would get frustrated about having to change my plans around to ensure I would be free for VBS, God showed me the wonderful people and children I was surrounded by during the entire week. No matter what obstacles I seemed to face, God was always there to show me that this week was important and it was crucial. It was crucial to have children at church every night to sing worship and learn more about God’s grace. It was crucial to have a safe place for these children to come and express their love for God.
Coming into vacation bible school I thought that I would grow closer relationships with the children, but I obtained so much more. I was able to fellowship with members of the church for the first time since I left for college. I was able to hear children describe that despite every phase and problem occurring in their lives, God is always good. I was also able to feel the peace that comes from knowing I was doing exactly what God wanted to do.
Life is wild. God is good.
If YOU think you might be interested in also writing a special post for the Oakland Heights Baptist Church blog, please reach out to Amana Andrews ([email protected]) to discuss details.