Daybreak

Okay, at the age of 30 it seems (and feels!!) silly to write about this, but okay. Those who know me will understand, and those who don’t…oh well… (Hehehe!)

One would think that by now a person would’ve made peace with the fact that one is 1) an adult, and 2) one can make one’s own decisions…regardless of where you live. Not that that has anything to do with this piece, but anyway. The thing is though that, yes, I have accepted that I’m no longer a child – even though I act like one a lot lately (thanks to C4G!)…

Since last year, God has taken me on a journey that has tested my trust in both Him and myself. For instance: He has shown me opportunities to sign up for volunteer work at church, which I was perfectly fine with since I was looking for areas to help out with. Then someone at the Children’s Ministry referred to us one day as ‘leaders’, and it rattled me. It felt awkward at first, to be considered being a ‘leader’, when all I do really is just give what I have in abundance of – Time (especially since I’m still single and don’t have anybody to report to…hehehe!) To top it all, the volunteer-‘work’ didn’t feel like ‘work’ at all, so how could one then even be considered a ‘leader’…?? It was so much fun!

A big thing that dawned on me is that ACTUALLY I don’t have to look to everyone else around me for leadership and guidance all the time, and that we shouldn’t necessarily look to others as being the only leaders. Every one of us is a leader in one way or another, whether we realize it or not…or whether we like it or not… This has had (and continues to have) a profound effect on the way I view myself, it has boosted my self-confidence, and it also affects the way I approach tasks related to my volunteering in a beautifully positive way. However, even more than that, I have come to realize that it’s okay to be the one to step up to a challenge when everyone else is looking around for someone else to do it. Fact of the matter is, often times God gives the opportunity to be a catalyst to change – it’s up to us to take it, thank Him and run with it.

I believe there is a wealth of potential in each and every individual to be or do something great in and for God’s Kingdom. Not alone of course, by His Grace and His Spirit. And of course all glory and credit always goes to God. But the time for waiting for someone else to change things is over. I CAN and WILL be a leader for God – in however big or small capacity it might be. He has awakened me to a new day, and I already feel the first Son-beams touching my face.

Joining me?

Playtime

Puppet: (noun) a model of a person or animal which can be moved either by strings or a hand inside it.
- Oxford Paperback Dictionary & Thesaurus

"...that can be moved..."

Who? The puppet only...?

I beg to differ.

Puppets move humans. Of all ages. Don't believe me? Just make sure you attend whenever you see a Puppet Festival being advertised in your area or at your local church.

The recent Puppet Festival at our church had a profound impact on me...a human. The idea was just to go and learn and maybe "fun-up" up the way we do things at our children's church. What I got though, is so much more than just fun. It was a calling...even if it was only to wake me up! When I say that I ended up in the top 5 puppeteers for the weekend, it's not to brag, but to try and get it through to my own mind that it was indeed the first time that I had ever set hand inside a puppet...ever. Having one of the most skillful puppeteers in our children's church say to you at the end of it all, "Didn't I tell you you were good??"...that's awesome. Having God ask you a week afterwards what you want to do with this newfound talent...that's humbling...and scary...

There's so much more to Children's Church/Ministry that meets the eye. Signing up to volunteer for it shouldn't just be to fill up a Sunday morning or impress people at church. It should come from a place of genuinely wanting to impact and change the lives of little people. And with puppets, the job's halfway done.

During the festival, I found myself (more than once...) quite emotional during skits, as the messages being conveyed unexpectedly impacted on me. They made me realize anew the sincerity of God's Love. They made me realize anew the reason why I signed up as volunteer at our Children's Church. They made me realize anew that God is indeed a God of second chances, and that He has indeed started to give me back a childhood not completely had. If puppets had such a restorative impact on me, how much more wouldn't it impact on little people in our Children's Church...?

So I said to God that I would love to see a Puppet Ministry borne at our Children's Church. We allready have quite a few puppets, we certainly have the talent, and I am sure we could find the time. However, I also realized that in the Bigger Scheme of Things, we are but Puppets on the Hand of a Master Puppeteer. Ultimately He makes the decision(s) that fall within His will and path for our lives...much like a puppeteer decides what the puppet does or says, or even where the puppet enters and exits the stage.

So, in the meantime I am enjoying my playtime at Children's Church. A second chance at being a child. Uninhibited and full of "God's Love".