Last month was VBS at my church. Love me some VBS. Actually, when I first began going to my church sixteen years ago, come spring time, someone asked me, “Are you signing up for VBS.” My response: “What’s VBS?” I soon discovered it’s a week with our campus covered in excited and sweaty kids. From that year forward, VBS has been one of my favorite weeks of the entire year. Love it!!

This year, with my partner Sheri, we taught 5^th and 6^th grade – my favorite age for VBS. It’s those last ditch efforts to help them get to know Jesus before getting thrown into the world of middle-school life and boyfriends/girlfriends and major life temptations. I feel this sense of urgency as I teach, probably more so than when I teach grown women. These guys still can choose the right path.

So the point of this: Throughout the week, the topic often came up about how deciding on your friends at this age is so critical. On the last day with them, as I was closing things out, someone came to mind: Judy Bryan. I told them about her and how she and her family took me to church while we were friends. I would go and spend the night with her and go to church on Sunday mornings. During that season, that was about the only exposure I got.

Then we started getting a little older, and I decided there were cooler kids that I wanted to hang out with. As I admitted to my VBS class, I left Judy in the dust, something that was one of the most pivotal mistakes I made back then. I ended up walking with the wrong crowd and making decisions that would affect me for the remainder of my life. I should have stuck with Judy.

The better point of this: Later that Friday night after VBS, I thought of Judy again, the same things I’ve thought a hundred times over the years. I wish I would have made a different decision. And I always wondered how that made her feel all those years ago. When she came to mind again the next morning, I decided to find out what became of her and messaged her on Facebook. I thanked her for how she and her mom showed me Jesus, and I apologized for leaving her behind for a not-so-good crowd.

The outcome? We met Wednesday for breakfast. Ha! She even insisted on paying. She’s this super sweet wife and mom now – not so surprising. She even bakes bread for goodness sake! We talked as if no time has gone by at all. She’s reading my books and may be making gluten free bread for me. I would have never even suspected how things could so easily fall back into place with us.

What I know? God can restore that which is left behind. I’m thankful for this new old friendship.

Since today is National Donut Day, you can imagine what’s trending on Twitter: donuts and Krispy Kreme. I kind of get that. Who doesn’t love donuts, right? I even saw a recipe with a glazed donut strawberry shortcake. Now that’s how to eat fruit!

This isn’t a new thought for me. Actually, the other day, I tweeted, “Why isn’t Jesus trending?” #whyisn’tjesustrending. I still wonder. Well, not really. I know why. He’s not newsworthy as far as most of the world is concerned. The Good News isn’t what people want to hear. They want to hear outrageous stories and dirty gossip. Seems the only ones who want to hear are people like me who already have. To them, Jesus is old news.

I wish this blog was filled with new and innovative ideas. I want to know how to make Jesus trend. In the broad sense of that, I suppose I can’t, but I can do my little part. It feels like a drop in the bucket most days, but even drops eventually equal a tablespoon. I write stories that lead hearts to Jesus. Maybe I can’t make Him trend on Twitter, but I can help a few desire to pursue Him more passionately.

That may be the key to getting Him to trend. If we all do our little part, seems like that might lead to a larger trend overall.

I want Jesus to trend. Now go and want it too. Allow Him to trend in your family, in your marriage, in your church and workplace. Let what you do and write on social media and the words that come out of your mouth express love. Give to those in need. Be His hands and feet. He will trend if what the world sees is His believing people acting trendworthy.

I totally stole that line from a Hallmark movie I watched last night. I love it! I know in my own life, that phrase is exactly true. What I’ve discovered is that living on the edge of what feels safe is exactly where God has called me to live. I used to play it safe, fearing I might fail. Now, I’m doing the craziest things and really putting myself out there. I still might fail. That reality hasn’t gone away. What I do know is this: if I do fail, I’ll just try again. I’ve tasted this walk on the wild side, this adventurous life with Jesus. I can’t go back now. Life would be too boring there in the safety-lands.

What does this have to do with you, you might wonder. I guess I’ll just keep it simple and ask you: are you on the great adventure or are you just mundanely living out life until your time comes and you kick the bucket? Will your life have mattered beyond yourself and your immediate family? Do you follow your God given dreams and purposes? If not, why? What’s stopping you?

I’m not suggesting that everyone has some public purpose, but I can guarantee you that you have a place in the kingdom, a place of service that will allow you to touch lives. You may be ultra-gifted with teaching pre-school Sunday school. You may help with the youth. Both are callings that will take you to the borderlands of what feels safe. To commit to service can be scary. Honestly, service and ministry complicates what could otherwise be an easy life. Touching lives is often messy. But oh what a reward that mess will offer in the long run, both to you and to those you serve. You’ll never know the blessing until you’ve given it a try.

So begin life today by stepping out of your comfort zone. Hey! It’s VBS season. Start there. Say Y-E-S to V-B-S. (Sorry, that was a song one year.)