On VeggieTales, Leadership, and Wimpy Kids

I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. -- Jeremiah 1:5 NLT

As the Children's Ministry Director and a mom, I am pretty familiar with the VeggieTales. Most Christian parents, nursery workers, and daycare teachers are. For those who aren't, they are these amazing little computer-animated talking, dancing, singing vegetables and fruits that teach children about God, the Bible, and living a Christian witness. (You can read my Rosaleen's review of one of their latest videos to get some idea.) These little $5-$20 DVDs have been providing wholesome, vitamin-rich entertainment since 1993, and don't seem to be slowing down any time soon. But what comes to mind today for me is that at the end of every video, after the stories have been told, the songs have been sung, and the lesson learned has been repeated, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber (the main characters) remind the children that "God made you special, and He loves you very much."

And while that seems simple, even infantile, it doesn't make it less true. God DID make each of us special--uniquely talented and tailored by our experiences and choices to fulfill a purpose only we can. The same Creator who took His time pulling each star together out of gases and heat took His time pulling you together out of flesh and bones, and as He placed each star in a specific place to shine, so has He placed you in a unique position and place to shine. And He loves you, even when it seems no one else does.

Many people assume that if they volunteer at church, help out a friend in need, pray for others, or give money to worthy causes, then they are doing what God has for them. And I'm not knocking those things; they are good things, wonderful things, and please God when we do them, but they in and of themselves may not be the specific thing (or things) God created you for. If God wanted people to just give money, we'd all be rich. But because He loves diversity (just watch a documentary of the Galapagos Islands if you don't believe me), and delights in our individuality, He intends each of us to fulfill the one-of-a kind purpose He has for us.

In his book The Church Unique, Will Mancini speaks to leaders about finding their church's "Unique"--the specific purpose God intends for that church, the reason they exist and the ministry/ministries they are meant for. It is a fascinating read, and many of the precepts in the book can be applied on an individual basis. One example Mancini uses is that of a "funnel," which looks roughly like this:

XXXXXXX

\              /

\            /

\         /

\     /

X

The Xs across the top are the many talents and skills we have. They are good things, often useful, sometimes not, but still they are things that we can do. The single X at the bottom represents what God intends for us to do. It is a beautiful and wonderful thing to understand that God has blessed overabundantly with more than we need to accomplish what He has planned for us! How much more can He show us how He loves us?

That's great for others, but not for me, you think. I've messed up a LOT. I've done things I never want to people to know about. I can't possibly be useful to God after what I've been through. I've soiled the gifts, broken the sculpture, torn the painting. Let me share a video with you that we showed our kids yesterday at our summer program:

Again, simple, somewhat childish, but true. No matter what you've done, seen, experienced, or been, God has a special, unique plan and purpose for you. He has crafted you out of messy, smelly ingredients to make something beautiful, useful, and greatly loved. I pray that you accept what God has for you. Find a church, get involved, and pray for Him to reveal your talents and what He designed them for.

Because God made you special, and He loves you very much.

Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF, incredibly flawed, but wonderfully made. As we all are.