Don't Let Anyone Slip Between the Cracks!

At 9-years-old, I fell in love with Jesus. I remember it vividly – After a Sunday night sermon, I rode home with a weird feeling inside of me. Thirty minutes later after a conversation with my dad, I realized that feeling was conviction and that God was pulling me to Him. I prayed with my dad, and that is the day that I was welcomed into the Kingdom. Immediately afterwards, I went out to our gym to shoot free throws. My night went on like every other night of my childhood, but my heart was completely transformed. So began my walk with The Lord.
I tell you that story because I want you to know the happy ending. I found Christ. He revealed Himself to me. But as I look back on the early years of my life, I know that this wasn’t the first time I was interested in becoming a Christian. Two years before I sat in the choir room of my church as we sang and waved our hands around animatedly. I can’t tell you which VBS we were doing, maybe Starquest or Mt. Extreme…but I can tell you that the Gospel was presented. I remember hearing the ABC’s of Becoming a Christian. The nice woman explaining how much Jesus loved me passed out cards to everyone. She said to circle a certain area of the card if we wanted to hear more about asking Jesus into our hearts. And I did.
Here’s the kicker, though. I NEVER heard anything back. I remember wondering about it, but at that early age, I didn’t want to ask any teachers why no one noticed that I marked something on my card. It’s crazy to me now. I know that my VBS Director’s entire purpose for the week was to introduce kids to Christ. My card must have been lost, forgotten, or overlooked. Regardless, I didn’t receive follow-up about the greatest decision I could ever make.
Now, God is sovereign. I’m not claiming that one person’s mistake could’ve cost me eternity with my Father. However, I want to give an extra ounce of encouragement to the leaders out there – be careful with your plan for follow-up. VBS is a HUGE opportunity to welcome kids into the Kingdom of Heaven!!! Be diligent in watching out for those that desire His presence.