“Know you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27
Have you ever been involved in a ruckus? That is a fitting description of my week. We had a really good ruckus -at church of all places! That’s right. It was a “good” ruckus. Wonderful expressions of God’s love lived out through the many facets of the intense outreach ministry called Vacation Bible School. The definition of ruckus (a disturbance or commotion) typically has a negative connotation, not so in this case.
Sometimes we need to be shaken up a bit. I am not sure anything has the ability to stir up things like the commotion a week of intense activity with children brings. It “disturbs” the day-to-day ebb and flow of life. Now and then, it is good to stir up our routine. Without question, The Holy Spirit was at work, not only in the lives of the children but also in the workers.
Working to reach people for Christ is not only a rewarding endeavor; it something He commanded that we do. Amazing blessings were ours this week as we became better acquainted with each child and grew to love them more each day. As the children reviewed the Bible studies for the week, I marveled as they recalled specific details of each day’s Bible story. They laughed as they reminded me that I told them the miracle of the blind man’s healing caused a big “ruckus” in the temple. Unfortunately, that ruckus was not a good one! The boys and girls were like little sponges soaking up every detail, whether in Bible study, missions, or worship. It was wonderful to see them grasp the concepts of how Jesus sees, knows, and saves.
I saw another beautiful phenomenon unfold as the body of Christ bonded together in service to our Lord. It was a sweet unity of both spirit and purpose. Vacation Bible School is work. It takes many hours of preparation and the time and energy necessary for the event itself. Energy levels begin to drop as the week wears on, but we persevere because it is important, eternally important. It was worth every effort.
This week I witnessed the body of Christ working in harmony and sweet fellowship. The variety of God’s creations in our VBS team was beautiful. Young and old; black, white, and Hispanic; single and married; new to the church and long-time members, all laboring together as part of something more important than ourselves. There was no job left undone and no one unwilling to do even the most menial task. Sweet humility and servanthood mixed with fellowship, laughter, and fun. It was a lovely picture of the body of Christ.
Today, I thank God for a “good ruckus” that made me all the more aware of how blessed I am to be part of His body, the church. I love how His love binds us together. I am thankful for the children, the workers, and the opportunity to be a part of God’s work. I pray the harvest will be great. To God, be the glory, great things He has done!
“…put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14
Charlene Miller
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#charlenemillerblogs
