Last Saturday night I did something I didn’t think I would EVER do. In my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have thought you’d catch me at a Monster Truck Jam! But, there I was… with all the other monster truck lovers in middle Tennessee… enjoying the loud roars, the strong fumes, the stale popcorn, and two little boys who were absolutely beside themselves and who (at that moment) thought their Uncle Bill had hung the moon for taking them to the Monster Truck Jam.
When it all started I watched Reed, the oldest (almost 4) as he watched in amazement the loud, huge trucks take off around the arena. He and Nash (almost 3) barely moved as the trucks raced, jumped, and roared. Prior to this experience monster trucks were on TV, on Uncle Bill’s iPhone, or toys that they enjoyed playing with in the family room… but now, they were real. The trucks were right in front of them. They could hear them, they could smell them, and they could see them!
At this point I need to tell you that Reed and Nash’s dad looked over at me in amazement and said, “Are you crying?” And yes, I was teary eyed at seeing the wonder, the excitement, and the awe in the eyes of a 3 & 4 year old.
So, how does all this connect to Kids Ministry?
I think a lot about what it is we do. I think a lot about the calling God has placed on my life. I think about the influence that I have and the blessing that they (the kids) are… and I sometimes sit teary eyed at what God has allowed me to be a part of.
Much like the monster trucks, to our very young children, God is something they hear about; they believe in Him but don’t actually touch Him. To preschoolers and young children God is amazing and a little bit over the top… but they, in their innocence, believe.
Then, as they grow older and begin to mature in their thinking they start putting things together. This God that they so eagerly embrace truly is awesome and real. Children come to that conclusion through a variety of ways, but sometimes God allows us to be His voice and His touch. He gives us the privilege of telling His story to His kids.
He allows us to be there, to glimpse into the eyes of His kids and see their amazement, their awe, and see the light come on as they make the connection that He is Real; He is the One True God; He is the Savior of the World; and that He, through His Son Jesus Christ, can give them eternal life and an eternal Hope!
I’m so glad to be a servant of a great God… a very large God… a monster God (if you will). I’m so thankful that he allows me to be a part of His Kingdom work and that on occasion, I get to sit next to a child who realizes the truth, understands the wonder, and accepts the reality.
Thanks be to God!
