12 Years of Age

This past week was Vacation Bible School at our church. The daily fun and teaching is all over now, but not the lessons learned, by the kids, AND by the adults.

If you are a regular reader of these stories, you would have read about a girl named Kortney. She's the one who had a heart and double lung transplant. When I first met Kortney, she was 12 years old. The same age as our oldest kids in VBS.

When the surgeons removed Kortney's heart and lungs, she was literally dead, even if it was only for a moment. But then they installed the donor's heart and lungs and got them working, she came back to life!

I told the kids how God gives gifts to us and enables us to do some pretty amazing things sometimes - like Kortney's surgeons did for her. "That's a Wonder!" as we' said about Jesus in VBS this year.

As I told Kortney's story, they ALL were listening very intently. As I showed them her picture, I examined their faces. They were not only hearing the message, but they were also receiving it. And here's why. Part of the VBS teaching that day. Jesus did even MORE amazing things than Kortney's doctors did.

"While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴²And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement." - Mark 5:35-42

Children like to have fun and goof around. That's a given. But as teachers, it's our job to get them to listen. And, if at all possible, to get them to think. It's one thing to hear a story from the Bible. It's another thing to hear about the same thing happening to someone in real life. 'It hits different' as they say.

That's why our own testimony about how Jesus changed OUR lives is so important. Because is really happened to US, no one can argue against it.

How did God change you?