Thankful Thursday - VBS, Part 2

As promoted in last week's Thankful Thursday, this week I am grateful that Vacation Bible School is nearly over. Tonight is the last evening of teaching for the kids; tomorrow is our celebration night, when all the parents are invited to come hear the kids perform the music they've learned.

It has been a great week. One not without a few bumps though.

On the first night of VBS, another little boy hit Spencer and told him he wasn't going to be his friend anymore. A third little fella spoke up and told the boy who hit Spencer to stop, which was sweet. Still, my boy came home and cried for about a half hour before I could sidetrack him with talk of a pizza business that he and I could go into (we made up some really interesting pizza flavors. I can't reveal them though. Just in case Spencer decides to go through with the ideas and become a bajillionairre one day.)



I'm thankful that Spencer did not hit back, which he has never done with anyone except his siblings. But the possibility is there, and I was proud of him for showing some self control.

I'm also thankful that, after speaking with the boy's mom (who is a friend), no huge deal was made out of it. Spencer wrote him a note (with some assistance from big brother, who can actually read and write) and the young boys worked it out. No more problems for the rest of VBS.

And then there was the fact that this year I was teaching in Clay's class, which I've always said I would never do.

You know how if you have a pimple, the size of it always looks way HUGER on your face than it would if you saw it on someone else's face? My children are not blemishes (perhaps this is not the best example, but it's all I'm coming up with at the moment.). However, Clay was a little bit boisterous the first two nights of VBS. Maybe I noticed it more because he's my boy (see, that's where the point is made). In any case, the night before I was to teach the evangelistic message, I had a talk with Clay.

It went something like this: "Tomorrow is my day to teach. It's an important message. There are probably kids in there who don't know Jesus. I need your best behavior so I can keep my focus on the Lord and His word and not your behavior."

He was so great. I looked up at one point and he had his face all screwed up into a scowl. He was mad at me for not picking him to answer a question, but he didn't say anything or draw attention to himself.

At the end of the night, on the way to the van, he asked me if he had done better. I could have just kissed him I was so proud of him. Well, I did kiss him. But not right there in the parking lot. (Because he is going to be in third grade soon. PDA from mom ceased being acceptable for him around first grade. He's promised me that kisses and hugs at home are always going to be good. I'm going to hold him to it!)

Now, off of the personal for a minute. This year's group of second graders was wonderful. All great kids. Well-behaved. Smart as all get out. And just fun to be around.

And despite the fact that our church gym had no air conditioning all week, there were no cases of heat exhaustion. The kids were in there for snacks and for craft time. And the workers were in there the whole night. It was uncomfortable, to be sure, but everything still pointed to God's glory. And that's the best we can ask for, with or without AC.


And I have to add this bit, which is totally unrelated to VBS. But I am still so thankful. My husband received a patent on something he invented through work. You can go here and see it.

I don't understand all that stuff written on the patent. I just know it made Bruce feel good. And I'm thankful the Lord gave him that.