The Wheels on the Bus

“The wheels on the bus go round and round…” I thought about that song this week as I drove the bus for the summer children’s program. Terrific Tuesdays and Tremendous Thursdays have been a tradition around here for many years. This week we are taking the kids to the library in the morning and a swimming pool in the afternoon.

Driving the bus is a big responsibility. I check with the group’s leaders and verify the time and destination. There is a pre-trip check to make sure the bus is safe. I check location of the day’s event and pick the best route. We load the kids and make sure everyone is safe in their places. Then we drive to the destination. All along the way I am watching the road and other traffic. I keep alert for hazards to avoid along the way. I stop at railroad crossings. After I drop the kids off I find a good place to park the bus so I can get out easily for the return trip.

Anyone who leads a group should be able to see similar responsibilities. Whether it is a Sunday school class, small group, or your own family, you are taking them to a chosen destination and you want everyone to arrive safely.

Our ultimate destination, Heaven, is the same for all our church groups. There are long-term destinations such as Discipleship, Worship, Fellowship, Missions, and Evangelism. There are also short-term destinations that take us in the direction of the long-term goals. The summer children’s program is short-term but supports our other destinations in many ways.

No matter what we are doing we need to be sure of our destination. We need to make sure our plans are in order and people going with us are on board. We need to look out for danger along the way and make stops when necessary. When we arrive we need to park in a place where we can go again easily because the journey is not over until we reach the final destination.

In Acts 13 the Church sent out the first missionaries. They answered the call of the Holy Spirit to send out Barnabas and Saul to go where God led them. It was not easy, there were many dangers, but God led them to tell the good news of Jesus to most of the known world of their day. They did it all on foot. Imagine how much we can do in a bus?

Bro. Robin