Bridges

Thursday of this week, it had been an exceptionally hectic day for one of our regular volunteers at The Compass (one of the responsibilities she carries is to give a daily devotional during the children's snack time). As soon as she had arrived, she realized she had forgotten her devotional and object lesson materials for the day, and because she was pressed for time, it wasn't possible to go back home to retrieve them.

This volunteer said she, "shot up one of the fastest arrow prayers of her life," as she reached for an emergency-stand-by object lesson book kept at The Compass. The only other thing she remembered thinking at the time was that she, "knew it had to be an object lesson where no items were required." She stopped at a page entitled 'A Bridge,' where there wasn't any additional material needed to deliver this particular biblical object lesson/truth.

Thanking the Lord as she sought out an additional volunteer, she asked if the volunteer still had a photo on her cell phone from a summer vacation (she knew that the volunteer had taken pictures of a very large bridge they had daily crossed). The volunteer affirmed she still had photos of that bridge on her cell and wanted to know why she was asking. Without answering the first question, she asked the volunteer if she had her cell phone with her. Again, the volunteer affirmed she had her cell phone and now was really curious. In the final minute they had remaining, she quickly filled in the volunteer helping what had happened that day, how God had directed her to this particular lesson, and how he had reminded her of the photos of the bridge. They both agreed to have her show the photo of the bridge to each individual child while the other volunteer was sharing the lesson.

After all of the children were signed in, had found a place at the table, and a child had said a prayer of thanks to God for their snack, the volunteer started to share. She talked about a very large bridge, and how it is almost impossible to get to the other side of where you need to go without crossing the bridge; which meant that basically, the only way to get from one side of the bridge to the town the volunteer had traveled to, they had to cross the bridge every day to get there... it was the only way to reach their destination.

At this point, several hands shot up in the air (usually, the volunteer giving devotions doesn't stop to answer questions, or allow talking during the devotional, until at the end -- unless questions/sharing needs to happen in order to deliver the biblical point, or lesson, for that day). This particular day though, she stopped and allowed each one with their hands up to share. Each one of the children were saying, "I know what you're going to say next. 'So do I,' " several of the other children chimed in. She allowed to have one of the children share their thoughts on the subject. "You're going to talk about Jesus."

She told the children yes, today's lesson was about Jesus and then she read them this verse from John 14:6, "Jesus told them, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' " Another hand shot up, and the child said, "Jesus is the bridge! Jesus is the bridge!" She asked if anyone knew where Jesus led to? Yet another child raised her hand, and said, "God?" Yes, said the volunteer, "Jesus leads us to God, and just like the bridge that brought the family where they needed to go, Jesus brings us to God. She also shared that Jesus is the only way to God, just like the bridge was the only way to take the family where they needed to go."

A few of the children were saying, "cool," and several more chimed-in as the two volunteers watched what they called 'light bulbs turning on' with the children's expressions. It was cool to witness God's truth being understood and planted into the hearts and minds of the children. It was cool how God reminded one of our volunteers of the photo of the bridge. And it was really cool how God had provided a way to a 'God appointment' that He'd had set up for that day and time for The Compass children and volunteers, before the universe was ever created by Him. God again showed His faithfulness and love in a very visual way, not only to the children, but to the volunteer who said she felt "scatter-brained and panicked," for a few moments until God blessed all of us with ways He remains open and accessible to Him, when we've accepted and know His Son, Jesus!