One of the rare sunshiny moments this past week I observed our favorite grey and white cat, Sniffy, sunning herself on the warm, red cushion of a deck chair. She had her eyes closed, curled up like a pinwheel circle, and she just seemed t
o be in her happy place, so peaceful and restful. After a few moments I whispered her name through the open screen door, and she lazily opened her eyes towards me. All of a sudden her eyes were wide with surprise as she realized I was present in this oh so quiet space of hers. It gave me an inside smile which soon appeared on my face. All seemed right with the world in those few moments.
This past Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was immersed in our weekend Vacation Bible School titled “Pets Unleashed”. Kids from pre-school through 5th grade came for Bible lessons, games and crafts. Our theme transformed our church into a pet sanctuary from every stuffed animal you could imagine, plus several live ones by the time Sunday afternoon was over. “ Give all your cares and worries to God, because He cares FUR you”, I Peter 5:7, was our main message as we taught, sang, played, and worked our way through messages from God’s word.
We shared several of the stories from Matthew 5-6-7, the Sermon on the Mount on Friday, teaching the kids the importance of being salt and light in the world around us. Our lights need to shine before those around us, and we shared together so many ways that others can know if we care for them. “ Do unto others as you would have them to unto you”. The Golden Rule, as many of us have learned it, is such a good measuring stick for us to think about before we act or speak, isn’t it? We ended Friday’s teachings with The Lord’s Prayer, encompassing the thoughts of God’s provision, protection, pardon, and also our praise for Him. Some of the kids were surprised that we can pray ANYWHERE, and that God is ALWAYS listening.
Saturday we focused on the story of the crucifixion and the resurrection, acting out the story in a darkened room with a human size shadow box and several lights going on and off at appropriate times. It worked out being pretty impressive to the students, and encouraged many questions and discussions. We used Luke 23-24 as our main base for teaching. Our main purpose was to show our students that God continually provides and cares for us, even when we don’t deserve it. One of the most touching moments was when each adult “critter crew leader” looked into individual student’s eyes and told them, “ Jesus died for you”. As they grow and learn more about God and His Word, hopefully they will always remember that.
Our worship time on Sunday was a culmination of our Vacation Bible School learning, and we shared a fellowship dinner AND a petting zoo. The smiles and excitement of the kids as they ran from place to place, petting, smiling, and asking so many questions was just a delight. We had puppies and other dogs of various colors and sizes. Salamanders, ducks, baby chicks, and baby bunnies all the way to a GIANT rabbit, almost too big to hold! A family from South Dakota even arrived with their goats, mother and three triplet babies. My husband, Dan, brought two baby calves. As the kids ran in and out of the little pen and into the back of the livestock trailer to pet them, they asked him all kinds of questions. Some just sat on the rung of the gates and watched the calves. One little boy shared that he did not like cow’s milk. Dan asked him what kind he drank. He replied, “ Two Percent”.
Yup, there is just something about animals that brings out goodness in kids. It was there again….that same inside smile which broke out onto my face. God’s teachings and his creation of so many different animals right in front of them to touch and love. I think most of us felt we were in a “happy place”.
