He Didn't Have to Do It

It's another one of those wow-God-look what-You-did-through-ordinary-people kind of mornings. Today we'll take down all the super cool Vacation Bible School decorations and pack them up to wait patiently for another year. I will try to get the report done this week, return unopened items, find the floor in my office and possibly even the desk.

I will remember the special moments of the week such as

• The excited text from a teacher telling me about the child who prayed and is now my little sister.
• The friend who left Monday morning to buy a pair of flip flops for a distressed little girl who arrived with one broken shoe.
• The Facebook message from a mom telling me her daughter got in the car after VBS and immediately began to read her new Bible.
•  The ESP Staff that went back to school and enjoyed seeing their kids pull out their Bibles at reading time.
• The tear-filled eyes of the friend who came to me Friday morning with her ideas for NEXT year's VBS!

And then there's

• The tears of a sorrowful teen bearing burdens her young heart is not designed to bear.
• The teacher whose health issues tried to get her down but the burning in her heart to tell kids about Jesus kept her going.
• The personality differences among the family of God that Satan tried to use to sabotage unity but God said "NO!"
• The "pray for me" pleas from volunteers engaged in spiritual warfare.
• The torrential rain and flash flood warnings.

As I file VBS 2015 in my memory banks, my mind keeps resting on What God didn't have to do.

He could have chosen to use others to deliver His message to the kids.

He could have used the rocks and trees.

He could have used the wind to whisper salvation.

He chose to use the ordinary people of Towering Oaks to plant redemption seeds to hundreds.

And then my mind rabbit trails to other things God did not have to do. Have you ever thought

• God didn't have to create color. He could have created a gray world and we would never have missed brilliant blues, blinding yellows, and amazing reds.
• God didn't have to create taste. We would never have missed the joy of a great cup of coffee, the comfort of chicken and dumplings or the wonder of  cheesecake.
• God didn't have to give us the gift hearing. We would not have known the joy of our baby's first cry, the dawn-song of the birds, or the marvel in music--the music that calls us to worship The Creator of all that is.

And to steal the words from RONCO: but wait--THERE'S MORE!

We'll put the decorations in storage but we get to keep telling His story. We don't have to wait until next summer to talk about Jesus.

We get the joy and responsibility of being Jesus to people every day in the grocery store, on the ball field, at work, and you know what? Even through the words we tweet, our Facebook status', and our snapchats or instagrams.

And in The House? Well, we teach kids about Jesus every time the doors open.

It's exciting to know that God uses ordinary people...that's you and me...to do extra-ordinary things because He is THE Extra-ordinary God.

Wow-God-look what-You-will-do-through-ordinary-people who put their faith in You and walk in an I-am-not-ashamed-of-the-gospel kind of way!