Due to a house full of company this weekend, followed by a frenzy of activity that lasted all weekend, I don’t have a post today. I hope you have a wonderful Columbus Day!
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂
Month: October 2018
Brick House Faith
Yesterday at the elementary school where I work, our first graders had a fairy tale ball. They had just finished their unit on fairy tales and to cap it off, they were told to dress as any fairy tale character of their choosing. Not surprisingly, there were lots of princesses, but there were also quite a few pigs from the, “Three Little Pigs,” and some wolves, and even the grandmother from “Little Red Riding Hood.” The “Wizard of Oz,” was also well represented.
Their creativity, was as always, inspiring. The possibilities and perspectives of the very young always inspire me. Later in the day, one of our teachers asked me if I remembered what her son wore the year before for his fairy tale ball. I didn’t, so she shared her pictures.
He had come as the houses in the, “Three Little Pigs.” In his mind, the most important character in the story, wasn’t a character at all. It was what the characters built, that spoke to him. Each house was represented on a side of a box that he wore.
I was fascinated and I thought about those pictures and his perspective long after the fairy tale ball was over.
As humans, it seems that what we tend to focus on is other humans, whether they are good or bad, or are for us or against us. But, the truth about all humanity is that it’s not permanent. We are only here for a short time before we move on to eternity, but the things we build can last a lot longer than we do, and the love and faith we pass down to the generations who come after us, can last indefinitely.
And when I think about it, “The Three Little Pigs,” has some deep lessons to teach us spiritually. When we are building our faith lives, it’s important to take time and care like the little pig who used the bricks, because we too, have a wolf character who comes after us from time to time, just because we are children of God.
It’s not a matter of if, but of when. If we haphazardly build our faith, like the little pig did with the straw and his house, it will easily collapse when an attack comes. But, if we take the time and pray, and read the Bible and spend time with other people of faith and build a brick house faith, it can withstand any kind of attack, just like the little pig with the brick house did and we can help shelter others too, just like the little pig did with his brothers.
The fairy tale ball reminded me of the importance of what we build while we are here. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂
Making Your Steps Count
There’s a little contest going on at my school. It involves how many steps someone can take in a day. There are teams. The team with the most steps at the end of the contest wins. It’s pretty straightforward and it’s a fun way to encourage each other to move around more. There was a similar contest last year. I didn’t participate.
First of all, I don’t have one of those little step counter watches that everyone is wearing these days. I know they are super cool and trendy, but they remind me of 1980’s fashion and I’ve been there and done that. Secondly, I’m just not very competitive. I exercise because I have to to stay fit, not because I get great joy out of it and I’m certainly not going to devote entire weekends of running or swimming, so I can get a shirt.
But, this time, there was a team that was short and so I reluctantly agreed to participate. The tricky part is, I have to carry my cell phone everywhere I go if I want credit for my steps. My embarrassingly low numbers are evidence that I often leave it behind.
I’m sure by the time the contest is finished, I’ll be carrying it around as reliably as a mama kangaroo and her joey.
But, as I was lamenting about the situation the other day, it occurred to me that just because my steps don’t get recorded on my phone, doesn’t mean that I didn’t take them. Just because they don’t count in the contest, doesn’t mean that I’m not more aware of the need to move more.
We are currently living in a social media crazed, show me, world. We may go on the most spectacular vacation of our lives, but if there are no pictures posted, was it less spectacular?
As Christians, our faith calls us to something entirely different. The Bible even tells us, “But, when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
Our work contest reminds me that I probably need to be more physically active, and that’s a good thing, but it also reminds me that instead of counting my steps, I really need to focus on making my steps count. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂
Toddler Lessons
One Sunday, a few months back, when the time came for the choir to go to the front of the church and sing, my friend Linda, had to leave her grandson Malachi, in the pew with his mama, so she could sing. As soon as she left his side, he began to wail loudly. It was of no concern to him where his grandmother was going. All he knew was that she was leaving him.
But, when the music began and she joined her voice with the rest of the choir in worship, he quieted down. When the song was over, she returned to his side.
I thought about that incident long after that Sunday. So often, when God calls us to do something, those around us might not understand. They might not have the vision that we do, that like a church choir, we are joining in with others to produce something beautiful for God, something much bigger than we are alone.
I also reflected upon the fact that Linda didn’t turn and go back. She kept walking to where she was called, knowing that she needed to go. She knew that not only was Malachi completely safe with his sweet mama, but that he was about to witness why she left him for those few minutes.
When we choose to walk with Jesus, we are sometimes called to make difficult decisions. We can find ourselves called to a different job, or a different vocation altogether, or a different city, or sometimes even a different church.
Sometimes the people around us will cheer us on. Sometimes they won’t. Change is often hard for everyone involved and some people are going to react like little Malachi did that morning. But, when we are deep in prayer over our dilemmas and opportunities and we know we are going where we are called to be, our friends and loved ones will eventually see what we knew all along: God always has a plan and He was always working in the situation even when He was unseen.
Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you did too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂