White Bluff
CHAPEL

Those Florida Kids and a VBS Far, Far Away
Posted September 20, 2018

by Kay Lea Scott

Dear White Bluff Chapel Family,

I have a couple of confessions to make. Being put in my place by kids is difficult to admit, but God has put it on my heart to tell you about it.

You know me for the roles I've played in WBC's Vacation Bible School. It has allowed me to use your children and grandchildren for the interaction and enjoyment I really crave from my own. It's impossible for us to bring Emma and Kayleb, our grandchildren, from Florida to WBC's VBS. For years we've promised to volunteer for their VBS. That promise put me in a spot where two kids could put me in my place!

Even with a great amount of VBS experience, guiding a small group of second graders proved eye opening in many ways. Indian Rocks Baptist Church VBS had over 900 students this year. 200-300 of them waited until the first day to register. That day's chaos was similar to WBC VBS's first day confusion. The grand scale of the din in IRBC's auditorium/sanctuary was almost disorienting.

Panic set in. How could I lead a group of children through their VBS days when I didn't fully understand the schedule and had no idea where the various activities were to take place on this huge, multi- building and unfamiliar church campus? God sent Martha. My co-leader assured me she'd been doing this for years and promised to teach me the "ropes." Martha even brought a rope every day. The children and I never got lost hanging onto that rope.

If you know anyone who has been a VBS small group guide, thank and praise them. They are instrumental in making a VBS function, no matter its size.

When the chaos subsided, our group of 12 students included 7 from broken homes. One had only learned of the split in her family just the day before. Zack's learning disabilities could be brought under control most of the time but Matt's were severe enough to require constant adult companionship. Martha and I traded responsibility for him throughout the week.

One of our challenged boys put me in my place during prayer time. Martha led us. I sat on the floor with the kids. During the week I'd learned that placing my hand on Zack's back when he began to show signs of hyperactivity could sometimes calm him. To no one's surprise, as we listened to each child's prayer request in turn, my hand again wound up on Zack's back. It was just too long a sit for him. So when Martha said, "And Zack, what do you want to ask God to do for you today?" His pointed reply was a simple, "Ask Him to get her off my back."

Over 130 children prayed for Jesus to be their personal savior during IRBC's VBS week. Many of them were baptized at a beach baptism event held the Sunday evening following VBS. I didn't get to witness the baptism. I was home recovering from laryngitis and exhaustion.

The following week I was sitting at the kitchen table reading my Daily Walk Bible when Emma breezed in the door. She stopped, glanced at the table and asked, "Oma, do you read your Bible every day?"

"Yes I do," I replied.

"I don't think so," she commented, continuing on her way to greet Opa. "Today is June 19."

Looking down at the page I saw May 12 clearly printed at the top of it. She caught me.

In Him,

Kay Lea Scott

PS The names of the VBS children were changed for this letter. Martha Lyons and I were co-leaders. She recently received a difficult cancer diagnosis. Please pray for her.