As I flew to Anchorage at the end of June, I engaged in prayer asking if continuing to go to Alaska to lead a VBS was God’s plan. You see, this was my seventh trip, but the last three years had shown quite a decrease in attendance. I was wondering if I was heeding God’s leading or if I was just going to Alaska to see the friends I have made and to enjoy the God’s beautiful creation and cooler weather.
God wants us to bring our concerns to Him. He told us. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).
Attendance had not been my first concern in leading this VBS. In February I was down to 2 committed volunteers to go, and needed at least 3 more. As I prayed about that I suddenly had a total of 8 volunteers, two from just an hour away from the site.
God does hear our pleas. He knew we needed more than 5 volunteers. On the first Monday of VBS, 19 children showed up excited to participate. That was 3 times the attendance of last year! Then on Tuesday 23 showed up, and as the week continued we had 25. The kids were excited and asked important questions. On Thursday a boy asked how many more days we had and the disappointment was obvious when I said, “Tomorrow is our last day.” His response was, “We can just come Saturday, too, can’t we?”
My quote for our week in Ninilchik is, “God showered us literally and figuratively with blessings over and over!”
It is easy to focus on the numbers in attendance at LWML events rather than focusing on the blessings.
Take your concerns to our Lord. He wants to shower us with blessings — and share those blessings with your LWML sisters.
Dianna Just
LWML Oklahoma District President
2016–2020
