First of all, the kids’ memory verse for the day was Exodus 29:45: I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. (You can see this lesson under the Exodus devotions.) I focused on the word “dwell” and how it relates to Tabernacles. That’s what I prepared for sabbath school.
So on the way to church, I told Ron we should sing “Sanctuary” and “People of God.” Imagine my surprise when Jim came up to me before church and asked if we could sing “Sanctuary” because he heard it at the dentist yesterday. So when song service started, I started playing “Thy Word.” We moved to “People of God” and “Ten Thousand Reasons.” Then Troy asked for - wait for it - “Sanctuary.” I’m sure my mouth fell open in a very unladylike way! We sang “In Christ Alone,” “As the Deer,” “It’s Beginning to Rain,” and “Days of Elijah.” In each one, I was shocked because there was some tie-in to the sabbath lesson I was getting ready to present when song service was over!
Jim had written the memory verse on the dry erase board before we arrived at church, which he never does, but it was perfect because Micayla was our guest today. She had the verse right in front of her and was able to memorize it and participate in class! Very cool!
When Keith started his study, imagine my surprise when his topic was the Feast of Tabernacles!! He went through some of the same Greek and Hebrew words I did!
It’s is always amazing to me when God orchestrates a sabbath to have it all come together as a concert!
And as the finale? When we got home, there was a message on our answering machine: Keith had called (after we’d already left) and asked if one of the kids could wear the Feast of Tabernacles shirt (the one he gave to them last feast) so that he could refer to it during church. As it so happens, Christopher had put on a Feast shirt that Mom had given to him the previous year, but is now too small. His second choice, and the one he wore to church, was the very one that Keith requested - and that we didn’t know about until we got home.
How cool is that?!