Take up your mat and walk

Today a brought a bright pink yoga mat in my box. We talked about different kinds of mats, and that when Jesus was alive many people slept on a mat which they would roll out at night and roll up in the morning. I then reminded the children of the story about Peter and John, who when going into the temple to pray, were asked by a lame man sitting outside the temple gate for some money. They instructed him in the name of Jesus Christ to rise up and walk , and this man who had spent his whole life on the ground got up, praising God as he went.

The Bible is full of stories of God making the impossible, possible. It is full of broken, imperfect people who are very surprised to be called by God to perform amazing acts in God's name. What are you called to do? What is keeping you on the ground? How can we teach our children to listen for that call of God to rise up and walk, praising God all the way.

Weighty Matters

My box was very heavy this morning, as it had a large dumbbell in it. I try to make exercise part of my daily routine. I am not at all a morning person, but I know that if I force myself out of bed and into the gym before going to work, my day just turns out better. And once you are in the habit of daily exercise, you do miss it on the days you skip.

Just as we model healthful behavior and exercise for our children, we should also be modeling regular prayer habits. Setting aside time to spend with God in prayer should be part of our daily routine. It allows us time to share our hopes and fears, the joy and sadness in our lives. And just as any physical exercise, such as running, yoga, tennis, gets easier the more we do it, so does prayer. The more we practice being still in God's presence and sharing our hearts with God, the more natural this time becomes. Perhaps our new mantra for prayer should be. . . Just do it.

Doubting Thomas

Today I had a picture of my three sons in my box. The picture was taken during Easter three years ago, when I was pregnant with our fourth child. Everyone wanted us to find out what the baby was going to be (we didn't) and most of my friends were confident we were going to have a girl. I was convinced we were having another boy, and at one point I said that the only time I would believe we were having a girl is when I had a baby in my arms. When she was finally born my husband exclaimed, "It's a girl" and then had to laughingly say to me "look, it really is a girl". I had to see to believe.

Today we talked about Thomas, the friend of Jesus who had to see and feel the risen Lord to believe he had really come back. How wonderful the faith of our children is. They accept and believe that Jesus is with them, filling their hearts with love. They don't need visual proof. They don't need theological arguments, or historical facts. They just know. Spend some time with your child talking about God, and allow your faith, even if only for a brief time, to become childlike.

Ski Goggles

It is the first Wednesday after Easter, and the first week back after spring break and the children were very excited today. Everyone thought my box had an Easter basket, or eggs, or maybe candy in it. They were very confused when I brought out a pair of goggles.

I spoke with the children about how when you are somewhere where there is a lot of snow, the bright sun and the white snow make it very hard to see things clearly. Sometimes you might look right at something or someone and not really see what or who they are. After Jesus was raised, we don't think there was lots of snow on the ground, but we do know that for whatever reason even those who loved him had a hard time seeing him. It's as if all his friends needed special goggles to allow them to see what was right in front of them.

We need to remember that we should always be looking for Jesus. Sometimes he might be hiding in someone who is sad, or someone who is sick, or someone who needs help. Look for Jesus this week, and see how many times you find him.

Breaking Bread

I put a loaf of bread in my box today. It wasn't a whole loaf and it wasn't particularly good bread, but the standard whole wheat slices many of us buy to be used simply for our children's lunches. So many of our stories about Jesus take place when he is sharing a meal with others. His first miracle was at a wedding making sure the host wasn't embarrassed when he ran out of wine. Jesus would sit down and eat with anyone, for which he was criticized by the leadership of his day. And his most lasting teaching to us came in the form of breaking bread and sharing it with his closest friends and disciples. What are we teaching our children when we sit down to eat with them? With whom are we sharing our meals?

I hope that as Easter approaches and we gather around the table with family and friends we remember to open our hearts to recieve the love Christ has for us, a love that we are called to share with others, especially those with no friends, no table, no bread.

Sarai

Today Gracie Buxton was our chapel leader. We spent time this week in my office and she looked around at all the things she might put into my star covered chapel box. Finally she decided on a small, very pink tiarra.

Sarai was a very ordinary woman, married to a very ordinary man. They had no children, and were not particularly well-off, all though Sarai was considered to be very beautiful. It was this ordinary couple that God called to leave the country of their father's and go to a land He would show them. It was this ordinary couple that listened to God and followed the call. It was not an easy journey, and there were many trials along the way. But Abaram and Sarai obeyed. And so it was that Sarai became Sarah, meaning princess, and she became the mother of nations.

What will our name become if we listen for God's call, and then follow it?

Top Hat

Today I had a top hat in my box. It is a very old top hat, and I very carefully showed the children that there was nothing up my sleeves, put my hand into the hat and pulled out. . . nothing. My hat was not a magic hat, just a plain one.

As Jesus traveled around healing the sick and performing miracles there were those who thought he was little more than a magician. The Bible is filled with stories of God's prophets and leaders having the power He gave them compared to the slight of hand of the street performer. Jesus healed, not because he thought his abilities would convince the crowds, but because he had compassion for those who were sick in body or soul.

Take some time today to pray for those you know who need the healing power of Christ in their life.