Our church has a wonderful tradition of training servants. During Vacation Bible School the junior and high school students help with VBS in the morning, then in the afternoon they do service projects for church family and community members. And a couple of days they do fun stuff, water park and laser tag.
I’ve been using this slave labor for several years now to get some projects done. One year, three big teenage boys used Dave’s SawzAll and cut up the redwood and fiberglass spa that had been curing down by the barn for 10 years and had finally zipped from “almost ready” to “rotting away.” The boys had a ball and we got rid of an eyesore.
One issue every year is the weather. I don’t know how we do it, but every year, VBS is the hottest two weeks of the summer. Last week, I kept the kids working inside. They lemon-oiled my wood furniture, vacuumed and dusted, even did some ironing.
Today is a little cooler so I’m thinking of turning them loose outside again. There are weeds to be pulled. The dogs need baths.
I love giving the kids work to do and seeing their enthusiasm as they tackle the job. They are good kids and they work hard. Now, I know it’s a different scenario at their own homes. I’m sure their moms wish they’d bring a little of these servant attitudes home at the end of the week.
Sometimes it’s hard letting kids see my dust bunnies under the refrigerator and the dog snot on the sliding glass door. But I’ve come to understand, if I want them to learn servanthood, I have to let the pride go. There’s no room here for both.
Gotta go pick up my slaves-er… helpers.
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