Using your windshield wipers

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While you’re driving in heavy rain, pull over and turn off the windshield wipers. Let your kids observe how the view through the windshield becomes completely obscured by the rain.

Explain to your kids how experiencing strong emotions (such as grief, anger, fear, worry and even excitement), can obscure our view so that we don’t always think clearly or make good decisions.

Next, invite your kids to suggest scenarios where they might find themselves in a “rainstorm” of emotions.

Now read Psalm 118. Impress on your children that, even though David was in great trouble and distress, he still started and ended the psalm by praising God and talking about God’s never ending love. In the midst of it all David drew comfort from reminding himself that God was with him.

Next, turn on your windshield wipers to clear the view again.

Continue your discussion, impressing on your kids that the best way to make a “cool decision in a hot seat” is to talk to God. We can ask Him to be our windshield wipers so we manage our emotions well. He can help us see clearly so we don’t hurt others when we are feeling bad. And He can help us not get “stuck” in our tears of sadness, disappointment or frustration; He clears the view for us so we can see how to keep moving ahead and find our way through hard times and difficult emotions.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 118:5-6 “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Choose your own adventure

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You can make up your own “choose your own adventure” story, or read one from a book.

If you decide to tell your own story, have your children help you choose characters and a setting, and give your children the opportunity to direct the story by making choices. For example, you could begin by saying:

Braeden was so excited. His mom told him he could have a friend over for the afternoon.

Then pause and ask: Who should he invite over?

Continue with: The plan was to go to the park or to go swimming.

Pause and ask: Which activity did Braeden and his friend choose to do?

As you continue telling the story, blend a conflict into the storyline, letting your kids come up with a resolution. Finish by reviewing the questions for discussion and your choice of the Bible verses listed below.

In closing, pray together and ask God to help you make wise choices and be willing to follow His plans, even when they seem a little scary! Ask God to help you trust Him just like many of the characters in the Bible did. Your prayer can be based on one of the Scripture verses included here.

Sample prayer:
Dear God, please give us ears that are tuned in to listen to Your voice and help us to be willing to follow the directions You give us. We don’t want to be like sheep who end up lost and on the wrong path. We want to live life following Your plans, not our own (Isaiah 53:6). Amen.

Questions for discussion
  1. Can you think of a story in the Bible where someone had to trust God in a scary situation?
  2. How is life like a “choose your own adventure” story?
Key concepts

Life is a lot like a “choose your own adventure” story because life is full of choices. If you ask Him, God will help you make choices that lead you to live out an exciting “life story” that He has planned for your life.

God has written thousands of amazing stories. The Bible is full of them! When you know those stories well, they help you know the right choices to make – the kinds of choices that please God.

Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Note: This activity fits well with the story “Moving without a van” from the Bible stories section of this lesson.

Jobservation

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Visit a construction site or another job site where you can observe the workers from a distance. As you watch the people working, ask your kids the discussion questions to help them evaluate the quality of the work being completed.

After observing the workers, pray with your children, asking that they become diligent workers who aim to do quality work with a willing and cheerful attitude.

Questions for discussion
  • Can you tell who are the hard workers and who are lazy?
  • If you were a boss, which kind of worker would you hire?
  • Do lazy workers get good at their jobs or become skilled workers?
  • What kind of worker would you want building a house for you?
  • Who watches you when you are working?
Key concepts

Lazy workers try to avoid work, or they will do a job as quickly as possible without being concerned about whether or not they are doing it well. They just want to get it done so they can sit or stand around. When work is done shoddily, walls end up being built crooked, paint is slopped on instead of spread smoothly and evenly, and areas that are supposed to be cleaned are given a “once over” instead of a thorough cleaning.

Diligent workers work efficiently and aim to do their jobs well. They make sure walls are built straight, that painting is done neatly and that areas are cleaned well. Because sloppy workers don’t try to do a job well, they don’t improve in their abilities nearly as much as someone who focuses on doing his or her best. Sometimes other people will watch you work, but even if you are working alone, God is there with you. The Bible tells us that we should work willingly and heartily, as though we are working for God.

Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”

Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men . . .”

Foolish Freddie, lazy Eddie game

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Sometimes people work so hard to avoid working that they put more time and effort into avoiding the work than it would have taken to complete the job itself! Lazy people lived in Biblical times too and some of their excuses are recorded in the book of Proverbs. “There is a lion out there and it will kill me!” is the best one!

Tell your kids about these ancient excuses, then ask your children what kinds of excuses they have made up, or heard from others.
Have fun taking turns coming up with outlandish excuses a person could make in order to avoid the work they have been asked to do. Begin each excuse with, “Lazy Eddie says . . .” or “Foolish Freddie says . . .” Here are some ideas:

  • I’m allergic to sunshine  (or cobwebs, dust, dirt, work in general).
  • I’m scared of bugs (or weeds, spiders, worms).
  • There are hungry rats roaming the neighbourhood, looking for kids to chew on.
  • There are giant, invisible elastic bands around my legs and arms so I can’t move.
  • I can’t do the dishes; the soap will eat my skin.
  • Work is like swimming: you’re not supposed to work with a full stomach, and I just had a snack.

After you have laughed over the silly excuses, use the discussion questions to talk about speaking the truth versus creating exaggerated excuses that are really lies.

Questions for discussion
  • What does the word “sluggard” mean?
  • What is the opposite of “lazy”?
  • Why do people make up excuses to avoid work?
  • What’s the silliest excuse you’ve ever heard?
  • If you were a boss, would you hire lazy people or industrious people?
  • What does God think about lying?
  • If you were married, would you want a husband or wife who willingly helps with the work around the house, or would you want to do all the work yourself while your husband or wife sits around and does nothing?
Key concepts

It would have been rare for lions to roam the streets of towns in Bible times, just as it would be extremely rare for us to see a rat on a residential street in Canada. The verses in Proverbs show us how silly it sounds when people make excuses as to why they cannot work.

Making up reasons that are false is a form of lying and God hates it when people lie! Work does not disappear just because we don’t want to do it. Attempting to avoid work is foolish, as eventually the person will be required to do the job anyway.

The opposite of lazy is industrious. God is pleased when we work with a diligent and willing attitude instead of making up lies to try to get out of work.

Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.”

Proverbs 22:13 “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!’ ”

Proverbs 26:13 “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!’ ”

Library lessons

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Before your next library visit, select containers to transport your books. Book bags, backpacks, plastic bins with re-sealable lids or baskets with handles all work well. To make it easier for your children to be personally responsible for their books, plan to transport and store the library books in the same container. Each child should have their own special container.

Use humour to review the book care rules listed below. After reading the basic list of rules, have your kids make up their own rhyming or comical version of each rule. Review your rules on the way to and from the library. You might also want to show your kids the online video Don’t Let the Pigeon Touch the Books.

Basic book care rules:

  • Wash your hands before reading your books.
  • Don’t consume food or drink while reading your books.
  • Keep your books away from pets and small children.
  • Be careful with your books as you come and go from the library.
  • Store your books in a safe place.
  • Water ruins books! Keep your books away from the bathtub, water bottles and sneezes.
  • Books have all the stories and pictures they need already, so don’t add any more words or drawings.

Humorous book care rules:

  • Books think you’re mean if you read with hands that aren’t clean.
  • Mixing books and food is really quite rude.
  • Babies slobber, dogs chew. That’s why books would rather have you.
  • Only crooks wet books. / Books will fret if you get them wet.
  • Books have words and stories galore. No need for you to add any more!
  • If you’re going to cough or sneeze, don’t use your book as a tissue, please!
  • Dropping, throwing or using books as weapons is strictly prohibited.

On your next visit to the library, let your children place their books in the book-return slot themselves. Show them how to put the books in the return slot spine first, to avoid bending the pages or the cover.

You might also ask a librarian to review basic book handling and care with your children.

At home, affirm your children for being responsible about caring for their books. As a reward, apply Luke 16:10 by allowing them to borrow additional books from the library next time.

Relevant Scripture

Luke 16:10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

Lent beyond the Easter season

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First, explain to your children the concept of Lent. (You’ll find help with this in the key concepts below.)

Next, decide with your kids how you can make a small monetary sacrifice for each day of the week, in accordance with how you have been blessed. Here are some ideas to get your kids truly “counting their blessings” as a means of deciding how much money to give to the poor, but feel free to choose other ideas too:

Monday: Donate a dime for each toy in the house.
Tuesday: Give a loonie for each piece of candy you ate this past week.
Wednesday: Donate a quarter for each CD, video, DVD, or Blu-ray disc you own.
Thursday: Set aside a nickel for each pen, pencil and felt marker in your home.
Friday: Donate ten cents for each pair of socks you own.
Saturday: Contribute a nickel for each book your family owns.
Sunday: Give 50 cents for each pair of shoes your family owns.

At the end of the week, deliver the money you’ve set aside to the person or the charity that God has directed you to.

Key concepts

Many Christians practice the tradition of Lent during the 40 days before Easter. During Lent, people often choose to fast, which means giving up food or certain activities – such as watching TV – in order to seek God more intently. As part of Lent, many people also look for special ways to serve others, or they put aside money to help others.

People choose to make these small sacrifices – like giving up their food, or their time, or entertainment – to remind them what a big sacrifice Jesus made when He gave up His life for us. It also helps them to practice being like Jesus.

We made our “sacrifice” of money so we could practice being like Jesus too, and to show our compassion for those who have much less than we have.

Relevant Scripture

1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

Mercy tales

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Perhaps you can tell your kids about the time you had a flat tire and someone stopped to help. Describe in detail how their help made you feel. Or perhaps you can tell about a time when you received undeserved mercy or forgiveness.

If you don’t have a story of your own, here’s a story from our Kids of Integrity writer Laurel Kirchner, for you to share instead.

Forgotten buns and a kind cashier
It was one of those days when there was too much to do and too little time. I’m usually very organized, but this particular day I let one important detail fall through the cracks. It was Bus Driver Appreciation Day at my boys’ school and I had forgotten to bring the dozen cinnamon buns I had signed up to bring.

I only had a five-minute window of time to buy the buns at a nearby grocery store and get them to the school.

Fortunately my local bakery had fresh cinnamon buns available. Feeling great relief, I took two packages of six up to the cashier, only to find that I did not have my credit card with me. I only had enough money for one package.

When I explained the situation to the cashier, she let me take both packages and told me to come back later to pay for the second package. The mercy she offered me that day made a big difference for me. The bus drivers got their cinnamon buns and I was so grateful that I was able to fulfill my commitment to supply the buns.

I did go back and pay for the cinnamon buns and thanked the cashier for her trust and gracious generosity. Had I not returned to pay, the cashier would have needed to pay for the second package of buns with her own money.

After you tell your story, read Proverbs 11:25 to your children. Let them know that when a person is kind to another person, it’s not just the one who was helped who gets the benefits; the one who did the helping is blessed too.

Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 11:25 “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Compassionate caregivers

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See if your children can name some caring professions without your help. As you drive around town, look for places where people in these occupations would work, such as hospitals, clinics, ambulance stations and churches.

Talk about how these people care for others, and use the discussion questions to discuss Jesus’ role as a compassionate healer. Point out that another name for God is Jehovah Rophe, meaning “Lord our healer” (Exodus 15:26).

Take time to pray and thank God for people who work in the caring professions. In the future, when you hear sirens or pass an accident scene, encourage your children to pray for the emergency workers and the people needing their help.

Questions for discussion
  • Who do you go and see if you are very sick?
  • When a person goes to the hospital with a broken leg, who cares for them?
  • How would you feel if a nurse was mean and callous to you?
  • Who comes to our home if we call an ambulance?
  • If we have some questions about God, or we need someone to pray for us, who can we go to for help?
Key concepts

We are very fortunate to live in a country where we have many sources for help and healing. If our bodies are hurt, we can get help from the paramedics working on an ambulance unit who take us to the hospital, or we can see a doctor. Medical professionals help us get the medicine or surgery needed to help our bodies fight germs or be mended.

We can also pray and ask God to help heal any injuries or illnesses we get. Not only does God promise to heal us physically, He also says He will heal us spiritually. Sin is a sickness of our hearts that only God can heal.

The Bible is full of stories about Jesus healing people physically and forgiving their sins. Jesus not only cares about our bodies being well, He also wants the spiritual part of us to be healthy too. (Our “spirit” is often referred to as our “heart.” You can also think of your spirit as being the quiet, private part of you that has the ability to talk with and know God.)

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 91:14 “Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows My name.”

Psalm 103:1-3 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases . . .”

Matthew 14:14 “When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Matthew 20:34 “And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed Him.”

1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”

Note: For two related discussions see the Bible story “hungry mouths and hungry hearts” from this lesson and “a task requiring teamwork and determination” in the Bible stories section of the cooperation lesson.

Love like a dog

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If you have a dog, see if you can catch them trying to lick the face or hands of someone who is sad or upset. Point out to your children that pets can sometimes set a good example of being sensitive to the needs and hurts of those around us.

Brainstorm together and come up with a list of signs that indicate a person may have inner hurts. For example, if a family member who is usually talkative is very quiet, that can be a sign that they are upset.

Discuss ways that you might console a distressed family member, and have each family member share ways they would appreciate being encouraged. Licking a person is not recommended (unless you are a dog)! But a hug, a hand on the shoulder or a pat on the back is a great way to encourage someone.

Relevant Scripture

1 John 4:21 “And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

Seeking God’s heart

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A Celtic prayer

Call:  Lord . . . open our eyes . . .
Response:  May we see those around us. Help us to notice those who are alone, hurting, and in need of prayer.

Call:  Lord . . . open our hands . . .
Response:  Make us generous people. Create in us a giving spirit, ready to meet needs as we are able. Help us not to wait only for opportunities to be heroic, but to respond to the needs that are put before us.

Call:  Lord . . . guard our lips . . .
Response:  May we speak the truth, but always in love. May we be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. May our speech be filled with praise for You, and encouragement for one another.

Call:  Lord . . . guard our hearts . . .
Response:  May we steer clear of anything which has the power to damage and destroy. Curb our selfish desires and protect our homes and our relationships.

Call:  Lord . . . break our hearts . . .
Response:  May we look at our neighborhoods, county, city, and world with Your eyes. Break our hearts with that which breaks Yours.

Call:  Lord . . . bend our knees . . .
Response:  When we need guidance, may we look to You. Make this church a house of prayer.

Call:  Lord . . . wet our eyes . . .
Response:  May we be a tender people. Help us to pause long enough to listen to each other and to carry each other’s burdens.

Call:  Lord . . . use our feet . . .
Response:  May we be willing messengers of the Gospel, quick to testify of Your mercy, goodness, and grace.

© 2008 Greg Hochhalter & Murray Decker. Used with permission.

To create your own prayer, read each “call” in the example Celtic prayer and ask your children to suggest a “response.” You can also use the questions for discussion as prompts to inspire ideas. Here are some suggested responses for your prayer:

Call:  Lord . . . open our eyes . . .
Response:  to see those around us who are sad, lonely or in need.

Call:  Lord . . . open our hands . . .
Response:  to share the things we would rather hang on to.

Call:  Lord . . . guard our lips . . .
Response:  from saying unkind words.

Call:  Lord . . . guard our hearts . . .
Response:  from being selfish.

Call:  Lord . . . break our hearts . . .
Response:  with the things that make You sad.

Call:  Lord . . . bend our knees . . .
Response:  we want to pray for those who need You.

Call:  Lord . . . wet our eyes . . .
Response:  we want to cry with those who are hurting.

Call:  Lord . . . use our feet . . .
Response:  to carry blessings to others.

Questions for discussion
  • Who would God want us to notice?
  • What would God want us to share?
  • Would God want us to share only big things or small things?
  • Is there anything happening in our home that would make God sad?
  • What are some things God wouldn’t want us to say?
  • What do we have a lot of that we could share?