I just finished the book Modern Day Joseph.  It was written by a leader of AWANA Clubs. His emphasis was directed at the differences/similarities between two young boys who left home around the age of 17, their journeys/choices/ consequences/ and their reunion with their fathers.  One was the Prodigal Son, the other was Joseph.  I could write paragraphs of my thoughts on it – I"ll spare ya – but I will say if you’re interested I’d love to chat about it.

Wednesday I read the Joseph account in Genesis.  It revealed  the crazy choices that Joseph’s dad, grand father and great grandfather made. It told of the quick tempers of his brothers. It told of maternal struggle to let control of their families be totally in God’s hand without their help. It told of the destinies of all of these folks. One thing that I saw was that Joseph must have been a witness to many of these events before he left home – and that he probably spent  time hearing the crazy tales of these three generations first hand – from the eye witness accounts of what people did and who God is. Knowing that God always had a plan, and a back up plan to our free will, and consequences  and rewards to our free will . . . . .

So my mind wanders & ponders and goes towards my boys.  Are we actively preparing them for their yet unknown destinies? Are we planning for their departure from our home? Am I being honest with the story telling of not only our triumphs but our free will defeats? Am I bringing in who God is into the why of my thoughts and actions?

We started AWANA 5-6 years ago.  Nathan was a Cubbie at College Park Community Church in North Bend. I was not actively involved – There was no payment or service needed from parents. I dropped him off at the little table and picked him up. I think my mom listened to verses.  I was involved with several group missionette type functions and girl scouts – my parents had zero direct involvement in my classes in these activities – so I set off with the same mind set.  I don’t think we participated in any special event, games, drills, awards nights – I just have two or three memories of the whole year.

We started AWANA 4 years ago in Fellowship Bible Church. Jon was a Cubbie now, and Nathan was a Sparkie. Weekly, I questioned the sanity of being faithful to the group based on Nate’s memory disability – . I worked with the Cubbies all year long listening to verses.  I remember feeling like a lost cog in a huge organized group of people who seemed to bond and know each other.  I wanted to be a part of that bond – but lacked the time and energy to be a part.  The whole thing seemed to be an awards based on memory only program.  Since memory work was unattainable at this point – we quit.

After a year off – and starting/stopping many family devotion times without consistency – we started up AWANA again. When we were in AWANA, we had family time every morning at breakfast going over the verses and the pages of reading. I remembered that it was a bonding experience for our family. So – Long story shorter – we have now been and Active part of our AWANA club for two years.

Each time we came – I was still not dedicated to AWANA.  Approved Workman are Not Ashamed. I did not agree on the memory/awards based system. After two years – my son had yet to receive a book completion award. We were ok with that as a family – our emphasis just was not on the awards, but the day to day family devotion time.

This past month I have been asked several questions about God, the Bible, Jesus, My Faith.  Strangely, my answers have been answer in the T&T book with the verse that went with it.  Every Time. It came to mind so quickly. The boys would sing the song of the verse. I would remember. I had a ready answer to these folks that was MUCH shorter than my ramblings here. (don’t roll your eyes).  We were looking for a simple faith, a simple doctrine. A simple love of the word. A simple reply – and we  finally had one.  After 2 years of constantly being in the word daily as a family – answers quickly came to mind.

Last week was the Awana Awards for this year.  I rummaged through the garage to find the box labled AWANA STUFF, Grand Prix fixin’s, funny hair, clown outfit, little ribbons from this and that – found it and brought it inside to put this years loot into the box. As I started taking the "stuff" out – I started to see how our life has been enriched and rewarded by our commitment to the club. Funny – it wasn’t really the abundance of fabric ribbons that I saw as a reward – but the memory- the service- the hard work- the hours of memory study – the memorized CD of the books – the family team work – the service of our Lord together that these little garage worthy scraps represented.

  There was the little cubbie bear that Jon earned when he earned his first book.  His Under the Apple Tree award that we worked on as a family. Also the memory of getting to know and love the Pace family.
His awards for faithfulness to the club and to Sunday School reminds me of the continued relationship with Fellowship Bible Church and my love of their pastor and church family.

He has his crowns full of jewels from memory work, growth and faithful attendance. Since we skipped a year -we started in on Hiker and Skipper – he will not go on to complete the Climber – as he will switch to T&T next year.

For the past two years we have been involved with Grand Prix, Sparksarama, and one year of Bible Challenge.  Dad has been involved in these events – helping shape cars – helping pack snacks, going with us to events, encouraging the boys. We learned that people win, people loose, and people come in the middle. That the team that lost was just as involved and prepared and skilled as the team that won.  That ALL the kids prayed to win, so no – that really wasn’t the answer. To be joyful for accomplishments but not at the expense of your friends, and that for most of these games – the players all come in so close – that REAL SKILL didn’t really separate the winners.

A couple of weeks ago – I paused to consider if we should continue in AWANA program next year.  It is a huge commitment.  I am now the Club Secretary – and next year will most likely not be able to totally lean on the prior Secretary who has done it for years.  What exactly are we getting out of AWANA – are there other ministries we should join?  The answer came quickly that this is our place for now. 
AWANA and CEF, which by the way have merged in their curriculum.

One in 12.
It keeps rattling around in my head. I want my boys to be a Modern Day Joseph. I want them to go out into the world, even at a young age, and face trials and temptations, and to know that God has a plan for their lives, and to live what they have learned. Rest and Trust on who they learned God was/is and will be.  I want them to hide the stories passed on from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Joseph – hide them and lean on them and learn from them. Not to have guilt and shame from errors- but willing to build and alter and remember how God saved them.

Looking through Awards program brochures and pictures – the Cubbies/Sparkies club usually has many many participants. I’m sure from parents like we were- drop them off – go have coffee- trust they can parrot back the verse enough to get the little sticker or patch.  Then I see with amazement the Citation Awards that go to participants that put blood sweat and tears into accomplishing 10 books. One a year third grade through 12th. Sometimes doing 2 books in one year.  Often giving up drama, or sports, or church youth group activities. Watching their friends go to events and parties, while they worked on verses.  This year in our families we had 2 out of 79 kids get Citation Award.
Each club has around 14-20 kids.  1 in 20. 1 in 20.

Joseph was one in 12 brothers, and who knows how many sisters, that held to the accounts close enough to learn from them- and then act in such a way to show that he believed that God was who his parents said He was.

Praying – that my boys will each be one in 12. And that their one – will save a nation – or many families – or their own family from the famine of worldliness.

I have been wondering what to get my mom for Mother’s Day – she will be here any moment with my Dad – and I think I will keep these up – and show her that I too was one in 12. This year I joined full time – not only in Awana but in Good News club helping to start a new club in a new school. Following her constant example of daily time with her Lord, her constant servant hood to the children of the churches she was involved with, and her willingness to serve at any activities she is involved with. I will trust the same God – and teach the same things to my children.

I received my Secretary Pin for completing the book – the One Year Service pin, Psalm 23 memory pin, and found the Helper Pin with my name on it from Jon’s Cubbie year in his baggie of loot that we never even opened. This Year I received thank you’s, candles, gift cards and flowers for my service. Rewarding even without the Loot.

One in Twelve. One in Twelve.