Firmly Awana Stands

I was an AWANA kid. That means that once a week I put on my AWANA vest, strutted to church and earned a crazy amount of jewels and awards to pin to my vest. One earns awards with Bible verse memorization and a couple of other things I don't remember in AWANA. I earned every single jewel I could. I rocked my Bible memorization/recitation. I was an AWANA super kid.

I was primarily motivated by the jewels...and maybe a little by God's approval.

And then one day it happened. Some teacher/adult/volunteer mentioned that we earned real jewels in Heaven if we led someone to get saved. WHAT?! My heart leaped. Why had I not known this earlier? I immediately started scoping out my friends and family to see if any of them weren't Christians so I could get them saved and earn my awesome real jewel. Unfortunately most of them were...except for one. I wish I could remember her name, but I do know that mom picked her up on our way to AWANA. She didn't go to our church other than that, so I assumed she was one of the "lost."

And my opportunity.

I pounced during AWANA game time.

"So ____________ do you know Jesus?"

"What?"

"You know, Jesus. The God who saves us."

"I don't know."

"Well, are you a Christian?"

"I don't know."


At this point I knew I had her. I had found my "unsaved" and I was dangerously close to victory. I needed to close the deal fast.


"Do you want to be a Christian?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"Well, you should. All you have to do is say this prayer (say something weird about Jesus entering her heart)."

"Okay, but I have to go to the bathroom. I'll do it in the bathroom." (She leaves and goes to the bathroom).

"So did you do it? Did you ask Jesus into your heart in the bathroom and become a Christian."

"Um...yes."


Sweet Lord Jesus! I had done it! I had earned my first Jewel.

I later heard that even though we earned crowns and jewels in Heaven we are going to give them back to Jesus. Fat chance Jesus.


I desperately want to leave my story there because the young superstar AWANA Suzanne is so comedic and sad. She is also very real. I really was that girl. And honestly somedays I still am. Praise Jesus the older I get,the more He works, the more convinced I become that if there truly are crowns and jewels waiting for me in Heaven, I will dead sprint to Him to give them back. I've done nothing. I deserve no jewels. He has done it all.