The Ambassador Award

Last year's VBS introduced "The Ambassador Award" to the Saavedra family. Out of the three hundred plus kids one to three will be chosen for this special award. It is earned by being the best ambassador of Christ one can. Each day the teachers are instructed to look for kids who are exhibiting that something special. Some points have included "good listening skills", "serving others", "showing humility", etc. The children don't know what the teachers are looking for until the end of the day.

I'm not aware of what last year's points were. All I know is Kaeley wanted to win the award like nobody's business! Everyday was a disappointment for her. I had to remind her again and again that there were three hundred kids who probably all wanted the award just as bad as she did. I had flashbacks from my days in elementary school. Every night over dinner I prayed that God would help me be a good girl so I could earn the SuperStar award, which was given out once a month in each class. Never did I ever get that darn award. I always talked too much. What's up with that? They tell you to send kids to school to be "socialized" and then they tell you to sit down and shut up? Anyway, seeing Kaeley's disappointment in not getting this award was a tug on my heart.

The worse part was the last day of the week Kaeley's teacher told her she had been nominated for the award. "Nominated" versus actually "won" is all a blur to a five year old, so she almost jumped up to receive the award when someone else's name was called. The poor thing ran into my arms and balled.

However, this year she was determined! She let so many children cut in front of her during Games that I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to play the game herself. She even came home with a new appreciation for serving me around the house and sharing with siblings. That girl tried with almost fiber of her body. She prayed about it. She asked Brad and I to pray about it.

I prayed that others would see her efforts, but that if she didn't get the award she would feel affirmed by God Himself, who is the only One we look for our award anyway, and that she would be comforted for doing the right thing.

We prayed Tuesday night. Wednesday she won the award! The day was focused on serving. There were three that won that day. Kaeley was last to get her blue ribbon around her little neck. That girl was beaming! She held her head up high, smiled ear to ear even when Teacher Brenda wasn't talking about her, and told me later she almost cried! I was getting teary eyed too, as you can imagine.

Kaeley earned the award for being a servant any time anybody needed her. Teacher Brenda actually called her a "serving Super Woman"! Boy, does God inspire that comment, or what?

It really is precious to see the kids win this award after a lot of hard work to do the right thing again and again. They leave the stage bursting with pride and the kids around them give them high fives and tell them, "Good job!" One little girl in Kaeley's class, Kaleigh, was just thrilled and proud that her friend Kaeley won the award.

I later had to remind Kaeley later on in the day that humility was a big sign of Christ's ambassador. :)