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In the End

We’ve just concluded our eighth Vacation Bible School at Northside. It may surprise some of you that we haven’t had more VBS events over the years, but for those familiar to our area, you will remember that Northside was once a daycare facility. This was not conducive to hosting VBS for obvious reasons. 

One thing I can say without a shadow of doubt is that Northside is heavily invested in the lives of kids. We believe strongly in pouring the message of Christ into these little ones so they have a solid foundation.  This is one reason Lyndon and I love our church so much. We are blessed that children are not viewed as a disruptive presence but are welcomed just as Jesus himself welcomed and blessed them.


Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:14-15 NLT


As I look back on our week together, I am reminded of the dedication of the volunteers to step up in faith so that our kids could experience Jesus in our church. We had over 40 children respond in the altars to meet with God, some for the first time, and some just eager to be near Jesus. And our leaders poured in after them and prayed with them. Loved on them. Gave them a taste of Jesus by showing them the love of God. There is no greater joy than for a child to come to the knowledge of the truth and accept Jesus as their forever friend. 


So many of our volunteers worked long hours during the day and mustered the energy to come in the evening to be a part of this kingdom work.  Rest assured, friends, that our Heavenly Father sees your works and none of it was in vain.


As a church family, we have endured so much these last few months.  A friend shared a text message from our Pastor Chuck before he went home. I can’t get his final message to her out of my mind: Tears and seeds.


We have definitely spent a season in tears. Even praying for VBS, I cried out to God for our workers and especially the kids we would be ministering to. And this week, seeds were planted. Some were watered. Some blossomed into a new creation. And Northside, we were a part of that. 


Our tears paved the way to reach these kids in a way that couldn’t have been accomplished by just us. The decorations were amazing. The rec team did awesome. Crafts and Bible Time had everything clicking and moving. Registration was smooth. The food was delicious. Our missions offering was above and beyond what we could have dreamed. But in the end, Jesus was right in there with us. Without Him, we can do nothing.  


As we move forward, when the tears come, I encourage you to push those tears into watering seeds. In the end, you’ll see the growth. You’ll see the reward. It may not mean a pat on the back for you, but that doesn’t matter. In the end, we will all lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus. He’s the only one worthy of praise. We praise Him now for what He has done and will continue to do in the lives of our kids.


© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries. All rights reserved.

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