Small fish grow up. Little fish become BIG fish. 

I had just left from volunteering with Vacation Bible School and what a big fish from little fish surprise: my store clerk was one of my former Vacation Bible School and Sunday School kids.  WOW.  Tall and grown up, responsible, respectful, remarkable to see little fish grow. He saw my Vacation Bible school t-shirt and said: Hey do you still work at that church?  Well, this year was just helping and yes, I could tell God found a good opportunity for me to help 3 nights, no organizing, I just showed up. 

We should all find such moments, any and all church opportunities where we can meet up with the little fish and strengthen the swim of big fish. We need to set aside our expectations and be ready for accepting work stations. Just like the vbs game filling up the bucket of water in a relay race, we can help, one action at a time. As volunteers, we should love the opportunity to be fished into service. A small slice of time becomes a big splash of help. Even whomever simply filled the fridge of cool water bottles for our 80 degree nights, that was a Godsend for me!

And we ARE big fish and need to “school” with other fish of all sizes – especially we need show the little fish how we swim with faith all caught up with our Fisherman. 

A “Big Fish”, the pastor of this church, came out to play our “catch Jonah” game. He stopped by our station each night to bless and be blessed. I could tell he felt blessed by hearing the children shout “God’s in charge!”.  Our game nets were there to catch like the Whale in the story, the parachute to create the stormy sea… God had to redirect Jonah to his task, speak to the people of Nineveh, tell them God wanted them to repent. Jonah probably would have loved to be in any other city but that’s not what God chose. Jonah was called.  Not all Godly tasks are fun – but being called to VBS is. 

And showing up to games was a good calling for me this year, the teacher collected the items, then we brainstormed the action. I got to teach about God, enough said!   Since I had said “I’m ok with the heat”  yeah I got the heat: temperature and busy with kids, ready for action, and I was OK, BECAUSE GOD’S IN CHARGE. 

With 3 groups 20 minutes each, I filled buckets of water for sponge tosses, crawled like a crab and dried tears. Yes, a little boy cried because water got in his eyes.  I wasn’t sure of wearing this head wrap I got from a friend for the island pirate look, but it became the perfect towel to dry his tears. Another time, a girl cried getting lightly whacked by a shoe accidentally. We stopped play and we folded hands and prayed and she came back to play. Prayers answered. God’s in charge. 

And what a blessing to watch brilliant sunsets each night while the kids play learned… Jonah wanted to watch the city of Nineveh crumble, but God built the people back up to be rescued. They also got to see the sunset and then the sunrise the next morning. That’s what we should do, always want to be given a chance. And we are, because God’s in charge!!!

Amen 

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Isaiah 40:4-5,9-11

Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed. and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”  See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. 

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