A Boy After God’s Own Heart

by Adele Buffington

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” –Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT)

Vacation Bible School 2024 at PLC has been added to the history books, and by the time you read this I think most of us who participated will have recovered. Seriously though, VBS is a special, crazy, intense, super-fun week of the year that leaves you on a mountaintop high while simultaneously feeling like you’ve been hit by a tidal wave. But I love it, and that’s why I have said YES to Roseanna every year that she has asked me to lead the music team. Also, you don’t say no to Roseanna!

I think I have led music for the past 10 summers or so, and besides the music part and getting to hang out with my fantastic teammates/friends, my absolute favorite thing is getting to know and connect with the children who attend each year. It’s a wonderful process that develops over the week and always leads to shared smiles, hugs, much laughter, silliness, and the sweetest bonds ever. The experience never fails to bless my heart in beautiful and memorable ways. This year, however, something happened that I have never experienced and likely never will again. And that is what I want to share with you.

It was Wednesday, the halfway point in our VBS week. We were teaching the “Primaries”—the 1^st and 2^nd graders wearing orange t-shirts—and having a blast. One little guy in particular stood out to me because he kept looking right at me, giving me the biggest smiles and becoming more animated throughout our time together. If I moved to a new spot to sing, he also moved to position himself in front of me; smiling, singing, and dancing all the way. The fun thing was that I knew who he was; a sweet boy named Wyatt whom I had seen around PLC but had never really connected with before. I will tell you on that day, Wyatt captured my heart…forever.

You see, after every session with the various age groups, we hand out tickets to everyone to collect for carnival games that they will get to play at the end of the week after our closing program. This is a VERY. BIG. DEAL. to our kiddos. They also get silly (I admit that I might be a part of that process) and on that day I started holding out my hands for high fives or hugs with the kids in “exchange” for more tickets. They started getting into it and before I knew it, I had a mini-mob of 6 and 7 year-olds attempting the feat of strengths on my unprepared hands. I should have known better but I just went with it and let them “do their worst.”

Well, unbeknownst to me, Wyatt had had enough of this high-five escalation. Suddenly he made his way through the little crowd that had amassed around me and put his right arm up over my shoulder, pulling me down a bit towards him. He started using his left arm to push away the numerous hands that were seeking to hit my outstretched palm. And then, he put his left hand on top of my hand and lifted up his left leg to put distance between me and the rest of the children. This sweet, kind, amazing boy became my shield in that moment. It still brings tears to my eyes just thinking of it. That plump little hand covering mine…willing to take the slaps and hits from the others for me (thankfully stopping in that instant). I will never forget Wyatt’s selfless and most loving act on my behalf. He was Jesus to me that day.

As I look back on little Wyatt’s unexpected gesture, all I can think about is God’s big love and how He breaks into our lives in the most beautiful and caring ways. As the verse says in Ephesians, we are called to live a life filled with love, following Jesus’ example. I don’t think Wyatt sat down to consider what he “should” do in that moment with me and the other children; he acted without hesitation in love. Yep, and I believe it was an outpouring of God’s love that had filled this precious child’s heart to overflowing. As Eugene Peterson so succinctly and poignantly interprets the first part of the passage in Ephesians:  “Mostly what God does is love you.”

I pray that you will experience the love of God in the most delightful and surprising of ways not only in the coming days but throughout the course of your life. I will leave you with Peterson’s completion of these verses:  “Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. Love like that.”

Thank You, Lord, for the amazing love that You demonstrated for us through Your selfless act on the cross. Thank You not only for this gift of life that we can never repay, but for the inspiration You have provided us, even to the youngest generations. Help us to live a life of love and bless others through Your example. In Your precious name, Amen.