“Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” Proverbs 4: 10-13
Did you know “robbers took Jesus’ body out of the tomb,” “Fairies came down to announce Jesus was born,” and “Because Jesus said so, is the reason the three little pigs house was blown down.”
Working in the children’s center, we never quite know the variety of stories we will hear from our children. Children are little sponges, they hear and pick up on everything. However, their imagination can take flight and sometimes the lessons they learn and the stories they hear get mixed up. Of course, this all gives us a good laugh but it is a great reminder of how easily it is to get our “stories” mixed up as well.
How often have you been speaking with a friend discussing a certain situation and they tell you “well, the bible says everything happens for a reason or this too shall pass,” something along those lines. I’ve even been guilty of shrugging off a situation to “well this must have happened for a reason.”
Although it would be great if we could explain away our troubles and worries away with a mix of fairytale stories, super heroes, and these “it’s out of my control verses” we assume are scripture; does it really make us feel better in the long run? Usually it’s just a quick fix to push away what we can’t explain or the uncertainty of certain situations.
As an educator, we re-read and re-tell these stories multiple times to our children. We dig into these lessons with pictures, discussions, felt boards, and even act out these stories to help them get a better understanding of their bible lessons. As adults, do we dig in this deep in our own way? Are we reading and re-reading daily, discussing within our groups on Sundays, reading daily devotionals, etc.?
I encourage you to devote time daily to not just reading but studying your bible. Take the time to remind yourself on the lessons the bible is really teaching us and devote time to continue to learn new things.
Meredith Lee, St. Luke’s Children’s Center
