Where You Measure

During VBS, amidst all the rah, rah, rahs and the paper clips, we have a clear purpose; to tell the kids in our area about Jesus.

As a worker, Wednesday is an exciting day. It's the day we pile everyone in the sanctuary for the official Gospel presentation, and we give them a chance to respond. I missed it this year because I had to work, and so by the time I saw my co-leaders the first thing on my mind was to ask how it went.

Here's the thing: it's tempting to miss Jesus in the numbers. Not that there's anything wrong with counting-it can be so encouraging to hear the fruit of what God did this week-but there's a temptation when we measure success that way.

See, when we measure success by numbers, it's easy to think that if God doesn't move where you measure that He isn't moving at all. 

It's easy to think that if none of the kids in your group said they got saved that you didn't do enough. It's easy to keep the "better luck next year" mentality and write off the week as just "okay".

I say this because I do this. I get to Thursday night and I don't have any crazy amazing stories to tell and I wonder what went wrong.

But God's making me realize that I'm missing it.

What if He doesn't measure that way?
Whoever said that God works in ways we expect? (Plot twist: no one.)
I don't know what gave me the idea that He has to do exactly what I should do when and how I think He should do it. Last time I checked, He knows better than I do. Always.

Whether I see Him move or not doesn't change the fact that God is sovereign-and He's always moving. 

And to think I almost missed it. My team may not have a number for our success this week, but we have a girl who knows that I love her no matter how many times she jumps on my back when I'm not looking. We have a boy who knows that even though he's shy, Jesus sees him and knows him.

There are 18 kids whose lives I've had the honor to intersect with, and I'm foolish enough to forget that God knew exactly who would put on that pink or green name tag Monday. 

And if God is working here, why would He stop when they walk out the door tomorrow? Why would He stop when I walk into work Saturday morning?

He won't stop making all things for our good because He is good, and I choose to trust that He knows what He's doing. 

"Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:14)