Kool-Aid Mustaches and Broken Cookies
Insights From Vacation Bible School
Learning to Loosen Up at God’s Table
Or, Dude, Loosen Up!
“Everybody, come in! Time for snacks!” Miss Marla hollered.
You never saw a faster stampede.
Buck was first in line, first with Kool-Aid stains, and first with crumbs down his shirt. He was all elbows, freckles, and fearless joy—living proof that cookies taste better when you don’t overthink them.
Me? I was the opposite.
Neat. Careful.
No crumbs. No stains. No chewing with my mouth open.
I wanted to look good at having a good time.
Buck just had one.
A Bigger Banquet
I’ve thought about that scene a lot over the years.
I spent so much energy in life trying to stay tidy for God—spiritual napkin folded neatly in my lap, cup just so, manners in place.
But God’s grace doesn’t come served on fine china.
It’s poured out in paper cups and broken cookies.
The table of grace is wild and wide and full of people who drip Kool-Aid down their shirts and still get second helpings.
Because grace isn’t about deserving; it’s about delight.
Jesus told a story about a banquet where everyone invited was too busy to come. So the Master sent His servants to fill the seats with anyone who would say yes—the overlooked, the messy, the unrefined.
Heaven’s table doesn’t have a dress code; it just has an open door.
Partake Fully
I think Buck understood something I didn’t yet:
When you’re loved, you stop worrying about spilling.
We live in a culture obsessed with presentation—how we appear, how we perform, how we’re perceived.
But in the Kingdom, the invitation is to partake, not to pose.
God doesn’t need us to look worthy; He wants us to taste how good He is.
So maybe it’s time to belly up to the banquet again—to drink deeply, laugh loudly, and eat freely from the goodness of a Father who loves seeing His kids enjoy the feast.
Reflection
Where are you still trying to stay “neat” for God?
What would it look like to enjoy His grace without worrying about the crumbs?
How might you invite someone else to His table—not polished, just hungry?
Prayer