Jelly Beans and Four Years

Children's Sunday School and Worship
Jeon ha International Worship
May 20, 2012

Yesterday, we talked about how God plants seeds in us to produce fruit. Now, to a group of diverse kids who speak different languages, this analogy was kind of hard to convey. However, God works through obstacles.....even a language barrier.

He gave me a cute analogy that truly shined in that room yesterday. Our lesson had an object lesson where you put crushed oreos in a cup and plant jelly beans in them.

They may not have gotten the idea of God planting His seeds of wisdom and truth in us to produce fruit for the kingdom. But there were some shining, happy faces in that room. I will never forget the reaction when I told them we would use jelly beans.

See, jelly beans are pretty expensive here in Korea. Even the Wingfield's do not get them often. (If you know me and Mike, you know we love our Jelly Belly's!)

My plan was to teach this lesson on sowing and growing....but God's plan was just to brighten up the room....and let Him shine! And, boy did He shine!

Yep, it was messy. (Imagine JC crushing oreos in a ziploc bag and pouring it into a little cup??) But that is just life! Life gets messy. We screw up. We get prideful. We experience loss and sorrow.

However, God meets us in all that mess and pulls us out. He provides not one, but two vaccuum cleaners in your Sunday School room to clean up. He gives you jelly beans to brighten your day.

All this blabbering is just to say, let God in your mess. Quit trying to plan what you want to happen. Let go and let God work a miracle through you. He can "make your mess HIS message"!

And today, I am remembering the Chapman family, Steven, Mary Beth, and their children.....

Four years ago, their youngest daughter, Maria, who was adopted from China was taken home to be with our Lord. Their story is in this link.....

http://www.showhope.org/AboutUs/RememberingMaria/HerStory.aspx

They have reached so many and helped others through tragedy. Just taking some time to pray for this family (who has three Christian recording artists in it) and for their ministry for adoption and orphans.