Cobwebs on Hats and Plumbers Glue on Hands

Tuesday night two weeks ago (this blog post was written a couple weeks ago and just discovered unposted!) was the first night of VBS at our church in Denver.

It was quite the night.

First of all, the plumbing had completely quit working Sunday. 

And no matter how many guys and gismos worked on trying to unclog the plumbing, 

it remained stubbornly clogged. 

Pastor Christian, and two others from church had worked for hours.

Jonathan and I arrived early to VBS service (after a trip of about 2 1/4 hours because of traffic jams in Denver) in order for Jonathan to say the magic word or do the magic touch! :) :) Ha ha.

No magic whatsoever happened, however. 

Just a lot more hard, miserable work.

Jonathan finally determined that what really needed to happen was that a whole section of old cast iron pipe needed to be dug out and taken out and replaced with new plastic pipe.

So that is what he worked on for over six hours while VBS proceeded as planned.

I accompanied Christian and the VBS kids on the bus while Holly drove another direction to pick up somebody else. 

It was hot. The bus was sweltering from sitting in the sun, and there was no air conditioning. I opened all the little windows and kept drinking from my water bottle.
(The next time I go, I took along balloons for guessing games, and see if the boys can keep paper cups on their heads from one end of the bus to the other.) But this night I wasn't prepared.
I was tired, and so was Pastor Walker. He said he needed a nap. He was exhausted. I was, too.
But VBSes do not happen with perfect circumstances by people who have boundless energy.
They happen because ordinary, tired people sacrifice more of their time and energy to reach out to kids who need Jesus and His love.

We tried to direct conversation because as soon as certain boys get on the bus, they see what dirty words they can get away with--by almost saying the words but not quite. 

Pastor Christian almost took one boy back home.

I tried to come up with ideas to talk about--like about our family's new pigs,

and our new puppies, and the pretty roses outside.
Great topics for young city boys! :)

It's hard to know what to talk about with boys whose lives are wrapped up in the latest videos, X-box, and Black Panther shirts. 

"I only want to come for one hour!" one young boy announces loudly. "I want to get back at seven to play X-box."

Another boy notices the logo on another boy's shirt, and talks about being the boss.

Back at the church, Jonathan is digging around the pipe and will later be working on the plumbing.

And crawling around in the crawlspace until the top of his hat looks like he has been in cobweb heaven.

Holly is bringing in a lady who does not seem to be feeling right. The pastor's oldest kid is not in the greatest mood and is anxious to win the quiet seat prize because the prizes look oh, so fun!

Our bus finally arrives and the kids hurry indoors while I conduct one kid to the parsonage to show them the alternative restroom for the night. 

And VBS begins!

The digging continues. Jonathan goes to Home Depot to pick up a long piece of plumbing pipe.
VBS service ends and this time Holly and the kids go with Christian so I stay behind with Jonathan and help Stephanie. 

Jonathan climbs back down into the crawl space. 

Up in the sanctuary, the pastor's aunt Stephanie who is conducting the VBS, has me busy helping her prepare a bunch of water bottles for tomorrow's crafts by cutting off the bottom of the bottles and then coloring the bottles with different colors of marker. We talk about our lives and our children and get to know each other. I was so thankful to have something useful to do while Jonathan kept working.

Stephanie said she had been afraid she'd be up all night coloring water bottles!

She was so thankful for my help.
(This is a little girl who the next day enjoyed this craft so much!)

Christian and Holly come home from delivering kids safely home, and they grill burgers leftover from Sunday's community day at church, and we all sit down for a very late supper.

Around 10:15 p.m. Jonathan asked me to bring in some rolls of protective plastic from his truck

to spread on the church carpet so he and Christian can get the old castiron plumbing pipe pieces outside without dripping sewer on the church carpet.

Christian carried out the pipe after Jonathan handed it out, and Jonathan climbed back out and washed his hands which were covered with gray plumbing glue. 

(Note--the glue is still there on his hands.)

He changed from his filthy shirt into a clean one Christian loaned him.

And while we were loading tools into Jonathan's truck, Jonathan's arm suddenly began to cramp.

He was nearly doubled over with the pain.

Satan doesn't just attack people who are on the platform leading the VBS and driving the bus.

He hates the people who are willing to crawl into spidery crawlspaces behind the scenes

(or under the scenes)

 and get dirty.

There is a huge place for full time mechanics and plumbers and carpenters and electricians in God's work. 

Being full time in God's work is not just about being a preacher or missionary or pastor or Christian Day School teacher or music evangelist.

It really could be about crawling into spidery crawl spaces

and digging ditches to get a clogged sewer pipe dug out and replaced.

"I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus," Paul wrote. 

For Jesus, those marks were nail prints.

For Paul, they were scars from beatings. 

For Jonathan last night, those marks were plumbers glue and a cramped arm.

For me, it was several colors of marker pen ink all over my hand from spending nearly two hours helping Stephanie prepare crafts for tomorrow. And then a terrible bang on my head as I was working a couple mornings later, but kept ice on for a long time so it wouldn't swell too much
and so I could go ahead and drive up to Denver again to help at VBS again.

I like clean hands, not ones with several colors of ink all over them like a little kid.
And I like to look nice, not have a goose egg on my forehead.

Not much to brag about, of course, but for today, those were some of the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Any mark in our body because of service done for Him is a mark of the Lord Jesus.

So is the mark of any reproach we bear for His name.

Underneath the plumber's glue and the red, purple and green ink, there were aching hearts bearing a silent reproach--things we cannot share but are there.

But what a joy to participate together with Walkers and Stephanie in the service of the King!
Scooters the Squirrel (aka Pastor Walker) was a real hit with the children, helping Stephanie tell the story, and being involved in other cute ways.