Worth It All

Today is the last day for our online Vacation Bible Camp. Although the ZOOM meetings will be over, the videos will be available for the next few weeks. We sometimes talk about a “labor of love.” It is interesting how childbirth is used to illustrate the process that we sometimes go through to achieve a goal, or to complete a task.  The outcome is worth the “travail.”

I am also reminded of the words to a song:

Sometimes the day seems long,/Our trials hard to bear./We´re tempted to complain,/to murmur and despair…/It will be worth it all/when we see Jesus!/ Life’s trials will seem so small/when we see Christ.

The song points to the time when Christ will come back to take His church home and we will see Him face to face.

But we don’t have to wait for that day.  There are times  when we can look at the implementation of a ministry and say, “it was worth the time, effort, and energy.”  It is not sacrilegious to sing those words now; to find that kind of joy in the work we do for others and sing that it is worth it all. In VBC we talk about God sightings – the places where we see God at work in the world. When I saw how many logged in to the ZOOM meeting on Monday, it was worth it. When I saw the faces of the children in the subsequent days – with their bible buddies and Imagination Station gizmos – it was worth it.  The first of their reported God sightings was appreciation for family and then thanks for the lovely fruit that grew in their yards.  And then to receive videos of the children singing and expressions of thanks from parents – yes it was worth – more than worth it. The message that God knows us, hears us, comforts us, forgives us, and chooses us was seen, heard, and accepted. Yes we are treasured!

We don’t have to wait until a far off time to see the worth in what we do for God for people. In this case we were able to see it each day in the faces of the children.  My thanks to all who had a hand in making this possible – from the time of our in-house planning to the transition to online. God’s grace be on each of you.  There will be more in the coming transmitter but for now – thank you!

Upcoming Meetings

Saturday, July 17
10:00 AM – Time for Prayer (Psalm 69)

Sunday, July 18
10:00 AM – Worship (In person, Livestream, ZOOM)
11:45 AM – Adult Bible Study

Thursday, July 8
6:00 PM – Together in Spirit (bible study, gospel of John 17)

Coming in August: All Church Retreat at Redwood Glen, August 6-8.