Saturday and Sunday, April 25 & 26, 2009, "Teaching Sunday School"

Triumphant Victorious Reminders
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
By: Teresa Criswell

"And let us not be weary in doing well: for in due season we shall reap,
if we do not faint (give up)."
~ Galatians 6:9 ~

"But you, brothers and sisters, be not weary in doing well."
~ II Thessalonians 3:13


James stands in the classroom in dismay. His wife, Jennifer sits on the ground as tears well up in her eyes.

An eager little boy who wants to share his favorite song. He extends his right arm so high as if he were to raise it any higher he just might pull something. Wearing a white polo shirt, beige 'docker like' pants and hair spiked, Jennifer said, "Yes, share with us your favorite song."

The little boy looks around to make sure his audience of 22 is ready when suddenly with all his heart he belts out in his sweet, southern drawl, "TW'A'NKLE, TW'A'NKLE, LITTLE STAR, HOW I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE..." As he finished with a huge smile on his face as I would have to assume he thought to himself, "I nailed it." His audience claps for him.

As most precious children, the others want to share their favorite songs too. Another little boy raised his hand so eagerly. As he extended his arm upward and his little hand waving violently back and forth, Jennifer called on him and she said, "What is your favorite song?" He proudly says, "Spiderman". After he sang his song, another child, a little girl, or I should say a 'princess' accessorized in pink, with her 'bling bling' purse filled with little toy make up. She stood up knowing who she was...a princess. As she sings her favorite song she twirls up on her tip toes as her arms extend above her head like a ballerina.

Jennifer and James realize as some time has passed that they are the only adults. There is no teacher, they have no lesson planned, Jennifer asks herself, "What do we do now?" So she says to the class let's sing a song about Jesus. As she sings with the class her quiet husband who would never place himself in this situation looks frantically for a book to teach the kids about Jesus.

Sweating profusely he is stunned as he thinks with great irritability, "How did she talk me into helping out in the four year old class at church?" Suddenly his question was interrupted as he hears a sweet little girls voice. He looks down to see a beautiful little girl with flowing blonde naturally curly hair. He said, "Yes." The little girl desperately says, "Teacher, I need help! I have a snake stuck in my hair." Puzzled he said, "What? A snake?" He realizes the entanglement is going to have to consist of scissors. He shakes his head again saying to himself, "Never again."

He carefully pieces out each hair as he lovingly glares at his beautiful wife. He finally gets to a few last strands as he has to break the news to the little girl. "You have a choice, I'm going to either have to cut your hair or your snake." She starts to cry and almost screams, "No! Don't cut my snake." So he calmly said, "It's ok, we will just cut your hair in this one place."

Sweating even more profusely he hears his wife say, "Who loves you all so much that He died on the cross and rose again?" They all shout simultaneously, "JESUS"!

A few moments later, James finds a book filled with Bible lessons for the children. He opened it up and realized all the helpful activities to coincide with the lesson for the children.

Of course in his mind he thinks, "I found it a little late." A few more minutes passed by and it was time for the parents to pick up their children. It felt like chaos at this point. James and Jennifer just wanted to make it out alive.

It is so funny to hear this story from their mouths. James' and Jennifer's experience thrust into what they thought was to help and assist the teacher ended up that they were going to be alone with 20 children.

It left a lasting 'memory bank moment' (as my daughter and I say often). It also showed that as they have committed to their church to serve in this area, even as they don't 'feel' gifted in that area...they see that they got through it....by the grace of God! LOL!

Just like their experience many times we aren't prepared to take the 'curve balls' of life. We see how we can be driven by needing to know what the 'lesson plan' is. Just as James was desperately looking for a lesson plan to teach the children, we need to become desperate for the Plan that God has for us. Not running to our own plans that will only lead us to more frustration and dead end roads. The road may last for a while, not knowing that there is a dead end, notice the word 'dead'...unlike with God's plan, He leads us to paths of righteousness and LIFE.

Choices are constantly being made. We will have to ask ourselves, "Which one do I need to cut out?" When we run to God daily for HIS PLAN, we must realize as Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you', says the Lord, 'thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end' (a future and a hope)." Many times as we run to Him, it sometimes sadly becomes our 'last' choice when it needs and must be our first choice. It's difficult isn't it?

God is so faithful and He redeems our paths of unrighteousness. He makes our crooked paths straight (Isaiah 42:16). It doesn't mean that we won't go through hard times because of our choices. However, God is there to assist us through that hard time. As we do things that we know are righteous and for the glory of God; the last option, which shall not be an option is to give up as you do well.

We may never see the impact in doing what is right and well before the Lord, yet we just might. No matter what, whether you see the impact or not...just know that someone will experience the 'God thing' because of your obedience and not giving up hope in HIM.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

God's Royalty Revealed In the Midst of A Verbal Slap

December 15, 2010, "Connecting Bridge"

Another Story of A Penny...