God is present
Our purpose when we started writing these blogs several years ago was to try to be intentional in looking for the presence of God and God’s work in our world. God we know is always present and active, but sometimes we just get busy and we get doing the stuff of everyday life and we forget to look for God, or we look right past what God is up too. It’s one of the things that our youth director Shawn always asks our kids when we are on a mission trip together, at the end of each day he’ll ask them, where did you see God today? For me this week, God has been so present and visible as we’ve welcomed 100 or so kids into our Vacation Bible school. I’ve seen God active in our children and in their excitement, their curiosity. I’ve seen God active through our volunteers, through their sacrifices and there sharing their gifts and in their love and care for our children.
But God was also present here on Tuesday morning this week. I watched as several of our senior high youth, under the guidance of some caring adults, worked side by side about 25 of our children in order to show them what it is to live as a disciple of Jesus. Tuesday was a morning of service where youth and our children put together back packs for kids in our community who will struggle to get their own school supplies. Together they put together welcome bags for the nearly 50 new teachers who will start their new job in just a few weeks and together they made some treats for the dogs at the shelter and delivered them in order to say that they care.
I also saw God present as well as a fella from our church then welcomed all our youth, children and the adult volunteers to his home for a picnic. He shared with us the gift of hospitality and he opened his home and was a witness of what it means to welcome the child into our presence.
It has been a good week here at Wright’s Chapel this week. There has been lots of activity taking place, lots of learning going on. But I really believe that it has been good because God was present and not only was God present, but it was good for me because I slowed down enough and took enough time to notice what God was up to.