Joy cannot be contained.

It starts in the eyes and spreads across hopeful faces. Soon, the row is ignited and then suddenly an entire auditorium is full of luster and smiles and excitement.

There is no better place to see the contagious nature of joy than at VBS Parent’s Night. All week, children have been soaked with Jesus’s love, forgiveness, kindness and compassion. They have had a front row seat to experiencing the Savior. Capping off the journey, their parents are invited to a special program where the children share what they’ve learned through skits and song.

Joy shines bright, as voices sing loudly with over-the-top hand motions.

My son Jackson oozes Jesus joy after weeks like this. He loves praising God through song, and the joy jumps right off of him onto everyone watching. When I see the purity in his worship as he uses every ounce of his energy to pour out his love to God, I can’t help but praise Jesus, too.

Vacation Bible School offers so many of these children freedom: freedom from boredom, broken homes, arguments, missed meals, apathy, overlooked needs, or just not feeling special or important. They are greeted by those who generously love them, teach them, feed them, play games with them, make them laugh, sing crazy songs with them, encourage them, and most importantly through it all, introduce them to the One who can give them freedom from sin.

When a heart is full of Jesus, it overflows with joy. It changes lives.

I saw no faces of anger or sadness during the program. Parents beamed with pride as they watched their children sing and speak truth. They heard the gospel through precious voices, and clapped loudly as memory verses were recited and songs exuberantly sung. Most of us were humbled by the joy in our children, and touched by the message they learned and wanted to share with us.

In the end, their joy helped us see Jesus.

(I want to especially thank those amazing VBS workers who poured into my children during VBS, including Matthew, Whitney, Elaine, Peyton, Joy and Cheryl. And, I want to give a shout out to my amazing co-teacher for the week Midge, who was truly the hands and feet of Jesus to those students in our care. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!)