Sparks!

I am writing this on Sunday night, to be posted on Monday morning. I won't blog live from the chemo barn this time because I'd rather spend the time crocheting, reading and talking with Bryan.

But I'll take copious mental notes and if anything really interesting happens, I'll be sure to report it to you on Tuesday.

For now, let me tell you about my Sunday afternoon:

I went to AWANA today! I signed up to be a leader for Sparks, the K-2nd grade level that Gemma started this year, and completed the training for it. But because of my treatment schedule, I knew I'd have unreliable attendance this semester at least, so I wasn't actually slated into a position.

It had been my intention to avoid AWANA on the Sunday after chemo and Sunday right before a round because of germ issues. But one each one of those middle Sundays, I've always felt so crummy and/or sick!

So, even though tomorrow is a chemo round, I went anyway.

For those who don't know, AWANA stands for "All Workmen Are Not Ashamed"--from a verse in 1 Timothy that talks about knowing the Word of God well so that when various moments arrive, you'll have the answer you need.

This is a Bible memory club/organization. Kids wear a uniform vest for each level, and as they memorize Bible verses, they earn patches and gems to put on those vests. The meetings are filled with games and story time and the year is filled with extra fun like skate parties, grand prix rallies and dress-up nights. (Tonight was Bible Character night and Gemma was a mouse. You know. From either the 6th day of creation or Noah's Ark, take your pick. . . .)

Gemma loves it. So does Josh, who is a Puggle. (Did you know that a puggle is a baby platypus?) He doesn't have verses to memorize, but they have a curriculum in his room, too.

As for me? I was so glad to finally get to a meeting! I went with the plan of just hanging around and looking for ways to be useful. I'd told the Sparks leader ahead of time that I couldn't be in one of the small classrooms with the kids because of germs, but that I could stay in either the big story room or big game room.

And lo! In the story room, they started singing "This Little Light of Mine," with no one to lead the dance motions. So I ran to the front and did them. (This is a big deal for kids: to have motions to go with their songs.) And then I made up motions to go with the other songs we sang.

Sparks also do a little mini-cheer for each award that is announced. I got to lead that cheer, too! And I turned off the lights for the candle-in-the-pumpkin object lesson, and I passed out the pumpkin cookies. . . All of this 3 times over because all the Sparkies rotate through as 3 groups.

What fun.

Parin once told me, as she watched me facilitate a pinata-busting, "You missed your calling! You should have been a cruise director!" Sometimes I think she's right. I just love leading folks in the fun stuff.

But what was best of all was actually being a helpful, useful person. It's not that I was a spectacular servant before chemo began, and that I got knocked off my game by it. But since the surgery on 23 June, I have been on the receiving end of help, and there haven't been too many opportunities to be the helper that I could actually rise to.

Being a helper today just felt terrific. Being with all the other AWANA leaders and children was terrific, too. Our church is a real family to us, and being part of the Body in this meaningful way was good medicine.

PS: Happy Anniversary, Sister #2 and Brother-in-law #1!