Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day! 

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Painful confession: (Don’t worry. I won’t judge you if this makes you judge me for a split second. I still love you.)

I don’t like preschoolers. 

Do I think they are cute? Yes. And  I grateful God created them? Absolutely. Do they add joy to this world? Sure.

Are they my primary area of ministry? No. No, no, no, no, no.

This was recently reaffirmed– the hard way.

After some prayer (and admitted procrastination) I volunteered to help with Vacation Bible School. Although tiny humans are not my fave area of ministry work, I figured that I could handle a week of either doing skits or registration or even being a crew leader to some elementary kiddos.

I completely forgot about the preschoolers. 

So you can probably guess what happened next: I got voluntold to lead/wrangle/herd 10 preschoolers for 20 total hours during the 5-day Vacation Bible School adventure.

And friends, it stretched me more than I have been stretched in ministry in months.

I tried to remain at peace, to find the joy, but it was so much work. And chaos. I don’t do well with chaos.

And licking. So much licking.

I tried to cope by putting clever things on Facebook each day like:

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Never in my life have I been afraid to close my eyes to pray until I became a preschool crew leader at VBS.  #TinyNinjasEverywhere!

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Yea, though I walk through the valley of VBS, I shall fear no preschooler… ‪

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Dear VBS preschoolers: What’s with the licking!?
‪#KnockItOff #TimeOutsForEverybody!

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Need your help deciding on today’s most ridiculous Preschool VBS moment. (cast your vote below…) 

A) that we actually had to utter the phrase “NO! Your tongue in YOUR mouth only! 

B) During final worship, we almost had to bust the back of a pew because someone got their arm STUCK in the hymnal slot. (and screamed like a banshee in the meantime) 

That is how I deal with stress. Humor. And it sort of worked.

But every single day, I had to pray for God to equip me for the self-control, patience and peace to execute my duties– and not get fired for yelling at someone else’s kid.

It stretched me so much. And since that time, it has made me GREATLY appreciate the fact that VBS is only one week a year. It is a perfect perspective giver in my everyday– because now, no matter what happens, at least I wasn’t chasing 10 sugar-hyped little people.

(Side note: For all of you out there who has the gift of ministering to our little youth– please know that there is a very special place in heaven for you. Jesus told me last week while I was muttering under my breath on restroom duty.)

Anywho, there is a purpose in this humorous/challenging experience. God stretches us with purpose, be it to open doors, close them or simply to bring us back to Him in our everyday. So that is today’s question: Where has God been stretching you lately? Chime in and leave a comment. 

Just remember, dear reader– that the next time God stretches you, as long as you don’t have a preschoolers tongue on your arm, you are ahead of the game. #PassTheDisinfectant

Stretched for Jesus,

“We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him.” ~1 John 3:22 MSG

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