​About 10 years ago I went on a mission trip with my husband to Guatemala. The missionary was a very young windower with 5 children ranging in age from early 20's to about 6 years old.

One evening he was talking about his life before he started serving the Lord. Making selfish choices, putting his desires above the needs of his family, and not being in partnership with his wife, nearly robbed him of his joy and his promise.

He told me about his wife who would pray for him daily as she ironed his clothes.  She would approach the throne of heaven of behalf of her husband who was busy seeking other things. She prayed that as the clothes would protect him from the elements that the Lord would protect him from people and places that would do him harm. The Lord would be his protection. She even prayed that he would be uncomfortable in his clothes should he find himself in a situation that was not honoring to the Lord.

Her prayers were answered. One night he was somewhere he didn't need to be and felt the prompting of the spirit so forcefully, it was undeniable. He went home and his life was spared. Had he been where he planned,  he most likely would have been killed that night.

He turned his life around.

This woman who faithfully ironed and cared for her husband for years found herself with a new man living in her house. Her devotion to seeking the will of her Father saved her family.

Today as I ironed the dress shirt that a man who has become like a son would wear at his wedding, I remembered this story and prayed. Prayed that when he stands, he is grounded. When he enters into this covenant, it would be blessed and sacred. That he would know that he will always have people who will take care of his needs, even something as trivial as an ironed shirt. That he is a son,  deeply loved, chosen and adopted. Again and again as an example of the love of God.

I prayed that as he begins his new family that he would lead and love as Christ. That he would bless others around him as he has been blessed. 

Every year Mom tries to take off work to help with VBS.  Nana used to do the same thing for her kids when they were little. There is something special that happens when a "village" come together to train the children in the way they should go. Blessings flow. Every year, when we start to think I'm too busy or too... whatever, I'm thankful that we are reminded of the blessings that come from such a small sacrifice. 

Not only blessings on the adults, but on our children. The friendships, the lessons, and the scripture memory are phenomenal blessings to our children. Most importantly, though is the love that is shared and multiplied throughout the week. This year, finding God's love was the theme of VBS. God's love is the treasure. Oh, is it ever. We pray that the people involved with VBS this week remember what a treasure God's love truly is.

There was something special about it all this week. Perhaps it was a friends marriage on the rocks while another is expecting a baby or a town surrounding a coach in prayer for health issues so soon after tragically loosing another teacher. Without the love and support of the church, in whatever form that takes, those situations could seem impossible, insurmountable, but surrounded by a village, maybe it's not.

From the lessons about loving people when no one else does, like the Samaritan Woman or Zacchaeus to lessons about obedience, like when Jesus was baptized or crucified to lessons about forgiveness and redemption like when Peter told Jesus three times that he did love him, the love is evident. The application of the principals are timeless. What a gift, what a treasure, it is to know that love.