This is a guest blog of sorts.  My dear friend, and sometimes  mentor Pat McLain shared this journal entry with me after day 1 of VBS.

“How did God help Paul?” was the review question Austin asked our 2nd VBS class during the Bible Study. It was the first day-and many were shy-but before long they were encouraged by the ‘VBS Veterans’ calling out their answers.  I could tell that they had listened, when an answer made me hear the story in a new way: “God gave him the soldiers to help him.” It was a God smack up side the head! The guards, or other enforcers from the Jerusalem authorities who rode with him towards Damascus had also been a part of Christ’s call to Saul-they did not hear the words spoken (that was for Saul only), but they knew something astounding was going on.  Why did they not take him back to Jerusalem? Or they might have left Saul there in the re road, blindly stumbling toward Straight Street.  Instead, they led Saul to Simon’s home.  They assisted the one who had God’s call.  I do not know-but I think they, too, were changed by Christ’s entry into their lives that day-and they were used by Him to help, to serve, to become the first of those to care for Christ’s great missionary-to-be.  How am I to assist those called by Christ?