Children's Ministry Blog

We all know kids are brutally honest.  They haven't learned the fine art of what is appropriate and what's not.  I'm sure every parent could readily share the time their "little chip off the old block" embarrassed them with untimely words.  Children usually call it like they see it. 

In children's ministry, teachers hear things that were  meant for "family" ears only.  It's OK, moms and dads, we understand. 

Along with the brutal truth comes the beautiful truth from the hearts of our little ones.   Our Tall Timbers kids were recently making sympathy cards for one of the members who had lost their grandma.  (this was our K-3rd grade class of Tall Timbers)  The kid's cards were such a blessing to look at.  All of us teachers were touched by the simplicity of comfort in the face of grief.   They drew pictures of crying eyes, they said things like " I know how you feel", "We're praying for you",  "I'm sorry about your grandma", etc.  Beautiful!

Then, as the Lord often does, he hit me with a heavy  truth through the  simple unprompted drawing of one of those five year old children.   I opened the card and saw cute little hearts of love directed towards the hurting family and then next to it was a picture I wasn't expecting--  a picture of a throne and a king standing next to it.  Wow, I thought, the throne of God in a sympathy card.  Not exactly the thing an adult would be making reference to at a time of grief,  but  a child wouldn't know about such things as a "proper"  sympathy card.  The simple truth ministered to me.   Sometimes in the face of situations that seem so devastating, senseless, unable to understand why, I need to know just that--that God is still on the throne. 

The very next morning as I read my devotions I was reminded by Isaiah in chapter  40 of God's comfort for his people. Verse 22 says, "He sits enthroned   above the circle of the earth..."  Verses 28-31 continue, "Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles. They  will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

I was tuned  into  what the Holy Spirit was speaking because of a picture drawn by a 5yr old.  Take time with those little ones mom and dad.  The Lord loves to speak through them.