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I’m teaching a lovely little Sunday School group this term.  They’re right at the age where they’re really starting to want more “meat” in what they’re learning about God.  It’s becoming more personal and more real and they’re showing an awareness of others around them such as whether or not their peers believe in God.

It’s an awesome privilege to share with them and be a small part of their journey.  I know they’ve really encouraged me in so many ways just by sharing their own thoughts and seeing the growth that is happening.

Last Sunday I decided to do something that I hope will really stimulate them to think about what servanthood is all about.  They totally blew me away with their responses.

I took along some cupcakes and asked them to ice and decorate them.  I then asked them to give all of their cupcakes away.  They weren’t to eat any themselves or to share them with each other.

It began about like I thought.  They didn’t really like the idea of  “missing out”.

I had 2 parts to what I was doing.  I wanted them to feel the pain and the sacrifice that “giving” can involve.  That being a servant and putting our own needs and wants can be hard.

Unbenownst to them, I had another set of already iced cupcakes hidden away.  The plan was for them to come back and share how hard it had been and then I wanted to talk about the fact that God sometimes asks us to give things up as part of serving him.  But that with God we will never miss out.  No matter how much we give, he always gives to us.  It might not be the same thing but it will always be good.

What I hadn’t really expected was the looks of pure delight on their faces when we regathered after they’d given all their cupcakes away.  They shared that it hadn’t been as hard as they thought to give them away and it made them feel good to give someone else pleasure.

I was blown away.

They actually took the whole experience to a much higher level of understanding than I had expected.  The understanding that giving has it’s own pleasures and rewards.

I still gave them the cupcakes I had made for them and explained my point about God giving to us.  I was really in awe of the way they reacted to the whole experience.

I really hope it’s an experience that will stick with them as they continue to mature in their faith and understanding of God.

Dear God,

I thank you for the faith of these wonderful children and the compassion they have for their peers who don’t know about you.  Please protect them and help them to continue to grow in you.  Use them for your glory and to show your love to those around them.  Give me wisdom as I teach them to show them your love and your way.  Thank you for the way they are teaching and encouraging me and for the privilege to be a small part of their journey.

Amen