By Joel Warren
Exodus 3:11-12
But Moses said to God, “Who Am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God said, “I will be with you”.
My middle name should have been “Moses.”
This past week St. Patrick’s has hosted a Vacation Bible School for kids of all ages, and I have seen God expand my knowledge of musical hand motions as well as every practical use of the hula hoop.
I entered the week very anxious, having been out of practice for so long. I hadn’t done skits, lessons, and water balloons since my youth (which is a distant memory). The next feeling I had was frustration. Why was I so nervous about singing and teaching kids? These bundles of joy are sponges, eager to soak up all the information being given. They’re learning that God is omnipresent, stronger than anything or anyone and that he protects us while watching over us. If just a morsel of these ideas sinks in, what a gift!
When I don’t know how to do something, no matter what it is, I develop such an attitude. I come up with excuses for why I don’t need to learn and grow. Messages such as, “that’s not in my skill set/gifting” or “I’m too busy to take on another task”. I dislike this about myself, that I give up at times when new ideas or change overwhelms me.
Moses did the same thing with God. When God wanted him to lead the Israelites, Moses thought of every excuse in the book… he said he was inadequate (a poor speaker), he said he didn’t know enough in Exodus 3 (“What should I tell them”), he said people wouldn’t take him seriously (Exodus 4:1).
God reassured Moses when He said, “I AM”. When we aren’t enough, God takes over. He always has and always will.
When the week of Vacation Bible School is finished, I am going to celebrate. Not for reasons you may think of… that I get to sleep in and have more time to myself. No, I learned this week that I am not enough. I am unqualified, inadequate, and unprepared.
BUT… God is enough for all the shortcomings I face. God will use each of us to carry out his mission, no matter our readiness.