Walking With Jesus
Make level paths for your feet to walk on. Only go on ways that are firm. Don’t turn to the right of left. Keep your feet from the path of evil. Proverb 4:26-27
If you haven’t seen or heard yet, the theme for this summer’s Vacation Bible School is “Walking with Jesus”. I am very excited about this theme! I am also thrilled by the response of volunteers already this month. It’s such a comfort to know that there are many people in this congregation that love to serve. While I’ve been searching for ways to convey this concept to the kids, I approached Pastor Steve with a question about what Bible story I should use on the first day to tell the kids about Jesus and to tell them why they should follow Him. Pastor’s response was to have our goal be to give the kids enough information during those days that they will be able to discern that for themselves by the end of the week. Well, that’s a TALL order but I think we’ll give it a shot!
So what kind of path are your feet walking on these days? Is it bumpy and rocky with sadness and depression on your heals? Are your paths full of ups and downs that are making you sick to your stomach? Are you questioning the path that you’re on or do you think you’re on the right path? Maybe your path is full of all the above? The above bible verse says to make level paths for your feet to walk on. What does a level path even look like in this world? Does it even exist? I believe it does only when we choose to follow Jesus and live by his examples
We sometimes view our lives as an ongoing maze or puzzle that is in need of solving on our own. We want the “map of life” drawn out for us so we can solve all of our questions ourselves. We think that we can make our own plans and draw our own journey’s. We all eventually find out that that’s not the way God works! He wants us to put our full trust in Him and to be led by him on our level paths. That does not mean that when we follow Jesus that problems won’t arise, but it’s an assurance that when we choose to follow Jesus and live our lives by his examples that He will always be on the path with us.
For the kids at VBS, they need to be taught what it means to follow Jesus’ examples. They need to be taught what the right ways are and be shown what the wrong ways are so they know when those situations come up in their daily lives they can make those right decisions and build a level path with Jesus on it.
One of the cool things that we are going to attempt (with lots of help!), is to construct a Labyrinth outside. If you don’t know what a labyrinth is here is an excerpt from an article entitled “The Labyrinth Map”, from lessons4living.com/labyrinth
A labyrinth looks like a maze but is not. A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has twists and turns and dead ends. You have to think and think and be alert for any clues you may find. A maze can be frustrating, frightening, or challenging. You can get lost in a maze.
A labyrinth, unlike a maze, has no dead ends. There is only one path, and while it does have twists and turns, you can’t get lost. The same path takes you into the labyrinth and out again. With a labyrinth you don’t have to think, or analyze, or solve a problem. With a labyrinth you just trust that the path will lead you to where you need to be.
It’s a cool article about kids going into a labyrinth for the first time and about how one of the kids wanted to bring in his “map” so he wouldn’t get lost. The author goes on to say that the boy realized he really didn’t need to use his map after all:
This is what we all do. We try to solve the labyrinth of life. We seek the experience of life in our minds through our thinking. We want to understand the journey in advance. We want to be prepared and not be surprised. We want the security of a map that we are going in the right direction.
I’m really excited about experiencing a labyrinth with the kids. I pray that by the conclusion of VBS that we all can throw away our maps and Walk with Jesus.
God’s Blessings
Michelle
