I love asking small kids wondering questions! I'll ask: "I wonder why the trees are green?"; "I wonder why the sky is blue?"; "I wonder why the giraffe has such a long neck?"; "I wonder why stop signs red?"; "I wonder why Jesus loves me?"
I love the answers I get! I will share some with you: "The trees are green because the grass is green, silly Ms. Anna!"; "The sky is blue because the birds like it that way!"; "The sky is blue because it is not purple."; "The giraffe has a tall neck so he can reach his car keys!"; "The giraffe has a tall neck so he can eat leaves."; "Stop signs are red because they are not square."; " Jesus loves me because He lives here, in my stomach!"; "Jesus loves me because He does, Ms. Anna !" I love asking these wondering questions, they make me smile! These questions also remind me of the intricate way I am made and the amazing world around me everyday that I most often ignore as and adult!
Of course -most of the time- I know at least the simple scientific answer or a logical reason to the questions I ask, but I never talk about these during the wonder game. I just listen to the kid's thinking and through their answers I get a glimpse of their worldview. After a couple of questions they can really be on a roll! ...And me, I am on a roll-that is on the floor with laughter! On the other hand, more often than not, I find myself amazed at the childlike faith and imagination that fills thier minds and hearts! I pray that childlike faith and imagination will remain in my heart and mind until my last breath!
COTHA LiL' Kids are learning about Worship this November. We are learning that we worship the one TRUE God! Now this is something to wonder about! One true God...God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spririt..three in one and one in three! In our 9:00 COTHA U Preschool class we observed an apple. An apple has three parts: the peel, the flesh, and the core. The peel protects the apple. The flesh provides nutrients and it is good to eat. The core contains the seeds to grow many, many more apples. The apple has three seperate parts with three seperate purposes, but it is only one apple.
We have learned that God protects us, that Jesus provides our needs- especially our greatest need of salvation, and the Holy Spirit plants the seeds of faith in our hearts, grows faith, and enables us to share with many, many more people about God. Three seperate persons, one true God!
We have learned that worshipping God is responding to who He is and what He has done and is doing. Some examples of how we can respond are; we can sing, dance, play musical instruments, read God's word with our Moms and Dads, learn at home and at church about God's ways, obey, and be thankful! The more time we spend with the one true God the more we become like Him.
This coming Sunday, the preschoolers will be putting a piece of celery stalk into a jar of red water. If we dip the celery into the red water the green celery will not change much. Maybe some red dye will stick to the bottom, however if we leave the celery immersed into that red water the celery will transform from the inside out! It will change as the red water is soak up through the stalk until finally the celery's leaves will turn a beautiful red. The celery will soon look the color of the water. Red.
Our lives need to be immersed in true worship to change from the inside out, to be Christ-like. Not just dipped in hoping that some Jesus sticks on us on Sunday so we can show it around the town. Nope. Everyday worship. Everyday absorbing the truth of God's word. His words will permeate our hearts and exchange the lies that surround us exchanging lies for truth, knowledge, and wisdom. Everyday opening our heart to conversation through prayer with the true and living God. Learning, Listening, Loving, Growing. Everyday our lips proclaming thankful praise from our heart through songs or words or journaling in thanks for who God is and the things He as done and promises to do. Everyday we can be changed from the inside out!
I encourage you to learn from a preschooler. Use child-like faithful eyes filled with imagination and wonderment to think about who God is. To think about what God has done through the ages. To think about what God has done in your life and those around you. To think about His beauty. To think about how God protects you. To think about how Jesus meets your needs and nourishes your spirit. To think about how the Holy Spirit grows faith in you. It is my prayer that through wondering upon such things that you will be free to respond in true worship!
If you are brave: Ask the small people in your life some wondering questions. They could be about anything you see while you drive or walk along during your day. Post the answers!