its over

You know, I really enjoyed vbs more than I ever thought I would. In the beginning of the week, I remember sitting there with my 3 boys and praying, God ... Please use me in some small way to show your love to these precious kids. Well toady at our last small group time, I gave the boys a little heartfelt speech. They were busy going through their goody bags and I assumed it went in one ear and out the other. I summed it up thinking, they may never remember me, but at least I told them God loves them and so do I. As I was cleaning up and the kids were lining up to leave, I felt someone wrap themselves around me. I looked down and it was one of my boys squeezing me tight. It really took me by surprise. We shared a sweet moment and then one of my other boys found me and said he was sad about leaving. We both gave each other huge hugs and exchanged some sweet words. At this point my eyes were full of tears. I knew God had used me. He even used my boys to help give me a deeper understanding of his boundless love.

Here is a top 10 list of the most memorable moments of the week:

10. During prayer time, one of the first grade girls asked us to pray for her mom's friend and her spoiled rotten daughter.

9. Racing the kids down a big inflatable slide.

8. Praying for a dead cat one of the kids saw in the road. She didn't want to pray for the family whose pet had died, just the squished cat.

7. A sane competent woman asking me - out of the blue - how much did I weigh? Then she asked me my height. Never had this happen. (It was awkward, but I did tell her the truth)

6. The question, "Excuse me, why do you wear those water shoes?" She was referring to my red crocs.

5. Oh the countless white lies first graders say. I am in fourth grade. Really how old are you? 7
Day one: He's my god brother. Day 3, same set of kids: He's my brother. Day 5: Same kids new relationship: He's my step brother. Really
John & Peter healed a cripple man, Do you know anyone who is crippled? Every kid at my table had at least 2 or 3 crippled people in their immediate family. Including a dad who has been crippled 3 times.

4. Being so so SO thankful that the out going little girl who was ALWAYS glued to her teacher, never stopped pulling on her or holding her arm, hand or leg, was never assigned to my table.

3. A lot of the older home schooled kids from the church helped in several classrooms. They were all so nice and polite. It helped me know that kids who grow up home schooled all their life are not social freaks.

2. How old are you? How old do you think I am? All my boys reply 17, maybe 19. Now I AM married, oh then you are 20! Thanks guys but I am ... (Sitting there in one of my old sunday school rooms, in a little chair, in a room full of little kids, with out my own children, listening to the head teacher review the bible lesson, I felt like a kid again. It was hard for me to get my age out of my mouth) 31, now way.

1. My favorite: Those awesome hugs and memories of my first grade boys.