ANTI-CRAFT

Well, it's that time again...Vacation Bible School is coming! I think all the adults at First Baptist Church that participate in VBS have a love/hate relationship with this yearly event. We love watching the excitement on the kids faces as they learn and play, we love the questions they ask when hearing God's Word, and we LOVE when a child accepts Christ and begins to walk with God! Every year, we look forward to the first day of VBS. We plan, shop, cook, decorate, pre-register, attend meetings, and so much more to prepare for the moment the kids walk through the door for the first time. At that moment, we really start to wonder, "Why did I volunteer again this year? Who talked me into this, anyway...and where are they so I can strangle them?"

Okay, it's not really that bad. It just gets a little chaotic when you try to cram 200 people (mostly kids) into a building and try to have any sense of organization at all. It's always an adventure, I'll tell you that much. I really do look forward to VBS, though. The kids are so much fun to watch, and it's nice to do something different for a week.

Last year, I worked in the craft area with the younger kids, Pre-K through first grade. We had four groups of kids that came through for about thirty minutes each. It was really fun, although we were extremely outnumbered. This year, I'm doing the crafts again, and I'm excited about it! We have some fun things picked out for the kids to make. I was able to participate in the craft selection process this time, and it was a little confusing/stressful, but I think (hope) the kids will enjoy all the things I picked.

Last week, I was sitting at church after a VBS meeting with the other craft ladies, discussing different activities for the kids that went along with the western theme for this year, and one of the ladies went into great detail, explaining a craft to the rest of us. Basically, it involved glass bottles, masking tape and black paint. There might have been a couple of other things, but I was kind of zoning out a little (Sorry, Kim!). The kids were supposed to spend one day covering the glass bottle with masking tape, then spend the next day painting it. I think there was something for the third day, but my mind was wandering a little by this point in the conversation. The end result of the craft: a glass bottle covered in something that was supposed to resemble metal, I think. Don't worry...we're not doing this craft. Too many dangers involved and too much time.

I learned something important about myself during my mind-wandering. I am a bad mother, and an unappreciative person. (Please, hold all negative comments until the end. Thank you.) As I was listening to these women discuss all the meticulous details of every little sparkly thing that goes into each tiny little project, I really started to hate myself. The boys come home every Sunday with something they made during their Sunday school class. What do I do with it? Unless it's something really special, like a Mother's Day or Father's Day momento, I usually compliment them on their great work, and then throw it away once they're napping or something. I know, I know...don't say anything. Hey, I can't keep every little scrap of paper they bring home! What am I going to do with all that stuff? I hate clutter, and I'll eventually have to throw it away anyway, when they're going off to college and they don't want to take their 18 year-old, brittle paper, falling apart art projects along with them! What do you want from me?!

Seriously, though. I'm thinking about all the money, time and planning that went into each of those little things that I've trashed over the last couple of years. I kind of feel like a jerk. I'm sorry! Someone spent a lot of time coming up with that stuff, and the kids spent time working on it. Sigh...I should be shot. Or at least tarred and feathered. Do they still do that? I didn't think so.

Am I going to start keeping everything? Ummm...no. I can't! I don't have any place to put it! I do, however, solemnly swear to carefully evaluate each art project they bring home and determine if it's something that took hours of careful planning and creation, and will then decide whether each specific item is trash or treasure. Good enough? Well, it's gonna have to be!

*As a random side note and a shameless advertisement: if you live in the Bastrop area, have children, and want to get rid of them for a few hours (for one week) during the summer, bring them to VBS at First Baptist Church. Children from the age of 4 (by Sept. 2010) through those that just finished 6th grade are welcome! Monday, June 21 - Friday, June 25, 9:00 am-12:15 pm. It's going to be so much fun!