Having observed Veterans Day on Saturday, I give thanks for Pastor Drew’s military service as Chaplain in the Navy. I give thanks for everyone who has served and is currently serving. As Pastor Drew has shared his deployment journey, he and his family have been on our hearts and minds.

During Sunday School last week, our preschool and elementary school classes colored and decorated Christmas cards for him and the sailors on his ship. By Wednesday, we had a whole box to send! Kristen Rank, our Director for Elementary School Ministry, mailed them this week. They are on the way, and we hope they arrive by Christmas!

With Veterans Day and an Election Day having just passed, I am aware of the importance of service. Our Family Ministries Team is intentional about providing opportunities to engage in service projects. We collect food for Loaves and Fishes. We collect children’s books for Promising Pages. At Christmas, we will be creating Christmas cards for the residents of Trinity Place Nursing Home. At Youth Group last month, we decorated Fall and Thanksgiving Door Hangers for the Ronald McDonald House. There are many other ways we serve the community!

In the Bible, we often focus our attention on how God has worked through the lives of adults. However, there are several occasions in which a child was integral in carrying out God’s plan. Here are a few I would like to share.

·      David: Before he became king, David fought Goliath when he was somewhere between 10 and 15 years old!

·      Little maid of Israel: In 2 Kings 5, this young slave girl told her master’s wife that the prophet Elisha could cure her master’s (Naaman’s) leprosy. Naaman was the king’s army commander and Elisha did cure him!

·      Daniel: Scholars believe that Daniel was eight years old when he stood up to the king and refused to eat the palace food!

·      The boy with loaves and fishes: Through his generosity, thousands of hungry people were fed!

·      Samuel: Samuel’s mother dedicated him to the Temple before he was even born. God spoke to him when he was a young boy and one day, he would choose David to be king over Israel.

·      Josiah: This king was only eight years old when he began his rule! He served as a faithful King of Judah for over 70 years.

·      Timothy: A companion and partner of St. Paul who served in spreading the gospel faithfully. Paul tells him to not “let anyone look down on” him because he was young.

In scripture, Jesus welcomes the little children into his presence. They are called to even more. As God has called children to serve important roles in his great salvific plan, he continues to call people of all ages into his service! Thanks be to God!