"When I write stories I am like someone who is in her own country, walking along streets that she has known since she was a child, between walls and trees that are hers." --Natalia Ginsburg

Sunday 28 April 2013

A Lesson Learned.....


What a beautiful day---woke up to bright sunshine and birdsong, and a massive headache. I had agreed to teach Sunday School to eight and nine year olds--my niece’s class as she was away for the weekend. Thoughts about the lesson had been going through my head, but I had not prepared well for it at all. Nursing my headache with Tylenol and coffee at 9:30 am was doing nothing to help
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I walked into church at 10:30 and went straight to the classroom to wait for the students. The theme of obedience was rolling through my head and as I prayed for wisdom all the thoughts that had been going through my head came together with a few scripture verses and a couple of stories to show examples. We opened in prayer and discussed two of the Ten Commandments that were relative to the lesson.

Then I shared with them a story about why it is important to obey our parents—because God wants us to honor our parents with obedience. I also explained that we should respect our authorities. For them; their parents, schoolteacher, bus driver--and we discussed different rules and why they were important.Then we discussed rules for adults; traffic laws—no littering, those kinds of things, and why they were important to obey. I wanted them to understand we ALL have authorities we need to respect---because it is the right thing to do—because it is respectful—because ultimately we honor God when we honor our authority.

At the end of the class I asked them how they could go home and use this lesson to live their lives. My heart was touched by their answers. One little girl said she was going to go home and clean her room, her Mom had asked her to clean it yesterday and she hadn't done it yet. One said he would turn off his electronic game when asked—others stated they would do their chores. One wisely suggested doing it with the right attitude..hmmm. 

I had my own list of how I could honor God in obedience—and was soon to be tested.

I went home for a quick lunch and then went to pick up a friend to go for a drive and have a coffee. Signs of Spring are finally showing--the grass is getting green, daffodils are showing their pretty heads--the air was warm and full of cheery birdsong. The windows were down and because my headache was gone the music was fast and loud. I just wanted to cut loose with my speed and I couldn't see any police; but immediately I was reminded of the lesson I had just taught. As my foot lifted--slightly--off the gas pedal, an empty bag blew out the window of my van. No one was around to see it—but it taunted me from my rear-view mirror. I turned around and retrieved it from the side of the road because I know it is wrong to litter—even if I did not mean to.
 
However I still need to work on the attitude part—a little bit. It is now almost eleven o’clock at night and I have just remembered another way I need to apply this lesson on honoring authority………I need to wind this up so I can go find the rest of my tax papers……Arrrghhhh!!!!