Out My Back Door 10/12/17

Last Spring I substituted in my 5 year olds Sunday School class.  It was an “on the fly” lesson because I realized a teacher was needed when I got to church.  I didn’t mind.  The possibilities are endless.  I love the children.  No problem…

I can’t remember the memory verse, but we were doing pretty well.  I said let’s play a game.  My daughter shrieks “Rock, Paper, Scissors…” and jumps eagerly.  Of course all the other children chime together, “Rock, Paper, Scissors…”

It was one of those moments when I thought, “What have I done?”  In a split second all kinds of reactions race through my mind. “We don’t play ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ in Sunday school. How can I make this apply? Rock, Paper, Scissors?  That’s about crushing, destroying, winning.  That game is about the world, not God. What will the parents say?”  Oh yea, it was not pretty.

I looked at the 9 children’s faces excited with joy.  I took a deep breath, and said, “Let’s do it!”  I divided them up in teams.  One team had 4, and the other had 5, that meant I had to take a turn.  We put the two teams on the chalkboard.  We played in groups of 4.  Whichever team ultimately won that round got a point.  The rest of the team cheered for their classmates.  Off course, I took my turn and lost every time. (It was not on purpose.)  Still I played with them.

All the kids had a great time.  I was still mortified!  However, one group won.  One group lost.  All the kids were happy.  We discussed that good or bad God sees us through.

This whole experience, trivial as it might seem, has stuck with me.  I have thought of it over and over again.  You see we live in the world.  We are not supposed to be of the world.  In my old stayed ways, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” was not appropriate.  Truth is “Rock, Paper, Scissors” was not the problem.  I played “Rock, Paper, Scissors” often on the bus to and from school when I was little.  I loved that silly game.   I won.  I lost.  I smiled. I laughed.  I complained.  I played.

What had changed was not the funny little worldly game, I was me.  It was how I saw “Rock, Paper, Scissors”.  The children saw it just as I remembered as a child.  By playing in groups, even when they lost, they won.  Their friends supported them.  Win or loose it was good.

May be “Rock, Paper, Scissors” is just our life.  We grow up.  Take ourselves to seriously.  Forget that everyone wins, looses, smiles, cries,…  Maybe we take our eyes off God.  Maybe we forget that others around us are cheering us on.  Maybe we …. you fill in the blank.

Be the Hope today for someone you meet.  Live in the World.  Don’t be of the World.

“You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 14-16