Surface tension...
i.e., tension in our lives and how to break it
Introduction: for you, not the children
Materials:
A medium sized bowl or pie plate
small pitcher of water
small pitcher of water
small amount of liquid dish soap
Q-tip
Pepper and salt
Introduction: for you, not the children
I know something that is true, very real, carries enormous power, is available to all of us to use at all times, but is used infrequently. This amazing "always at hand" phenomena is the use of the words, "praise the Lord," or "blessed be God." Actually, the phenomena is any praise of God that is used. When, in the midst of some kind of trouble or persistent problem, you use some form of praise to God, you will, at that moment allow the Kingdom of Heaven to surround you in some way. Sure, it is a real mystery, but it is a very singularly remarkable reality. I challenge you to try it even if you are skeptical and you just want to test it out. Go ahead! You can not make God's grace into anything foolish and all creation will, if you are able to say it, start blessing God and all of a sudden you will feel better. Guaranteed. I have a feeling that if you are trying to make something foolish out of the words then you will not be able to say the words. Go ahead, try it.
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To teach this truth to children you can have a wonderful little experiment. Pour about 1/2 cup of water into a small container or pie plate. Sprinkle some salt onto the water while you talk about all the good things in your life...or an imaginary person's life. Perhaps a person has just gotten into the school of their choice, they have a great friend that they know is going to the same school. They have been asked to try out for the debate team or the basketball team or the choir...whatever sounds spiffy to you. With each good thing sprinkle a bit of the white salt onto the water. It will sink to the bottom. Then make up some problem. For instance, you could say that your best friend made another friend and now acts as if you don't even exist. Sprinkle some pepper onto the surface of the water. Perhaps you could say your mom said you have to babysit your little sister when she gets out of school and so you cannot hang out with your friends after school. Sprinkle more pepper on the water. You could say that the Math test that you felt so confident about was trickier than you thought it would be and you didn't even pass the test. Sprinkle more pepper on the water. Muse about the fact that now your life seems to be getting in a real mess and you are starting to feel some knots deep within you and you are finding it very hard to feel the peacefulness you had felt when everything seemed to be going so well for you.
Tell the children you are going to tell them about a great mystery of God that needs to be used all the time but when you use the strength of this mystery in situations that bring you great discomfort, sadness or pain, it is particularly helpful. In times of real trouble it is very hard to say these words but if you do you will be relieved of much angst. The miraculous phenomena is praise. Simply say, "Blessed be God," or "Praise the Lord!" or any other praise to God and at that moment you have opened heaven's floodgates and you will find an inner strength and calmness. Tell the children to watch closely. Put a small amount of dish soap on the Qtip and as you drop the soap onto the pepper say, "Blessed be God!" ...all the pepper scatters to the side.
Tell them that of course your best friend may still shun you and you will still have to study for tests and you still have to do all the right things as well as you can. You still have to obey God in every way you know how and be the very best person you can be. But in situations where you are torn up inside these praise prayers will help restore some equanimity to your soul.
God bless you!
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To teach this truth to children you can have a wonderful little experiment. Pour about 1/2 cup of water into a small container or pie plate. Sprinkle some salt onto the water while you talk about all the good things in your life...or an imaginary person's life. Perhaps a person has just gotten into the school of their choice, they have a great friend that they know is going to the same school. They have been asked to try out for the debate team or the basketball team or the choir...whatever sounds spiffy to you. With each good thing sprinkle a bit of the white salt onto the water. It will sink to the bottom. Then make up some problem. For instance, you could say that your best friend made another friend and now acts as if you don't even exist. Sprinkle some pepper onto the surface of the water. Perhaps you could say your mom said you have to babysit your little sister when she gets out of school and so you cannot hang out with your friends after school. Sprinkle more pepper on the water. You could say that the Math test that you felt so confident about was trickier than you thought it would be and you didn't even pass the test. Sprinkle more pepper on the water. Muse about the fact that now your life seems to be getting in a real mess and you are starting to feel some knots deep within you and you are finding it very hard to feel the peacefulness you had felt when everything seemed to be going so well for you.
Tell the children you are going to tell them about a great mystery of God that needs to be used all the time but when you use the strength of this mystery in situations that bring you great discomfort, sadness or pain, it is particularly helpful. In times of real trouble it is very hard to say these words but if you do you will be relieved of much angst. The miraculous phenomena is praise. Simply say, "Blessed be God," or "Praise the Lord!" or any other praise to God and at that moment you have opened heaven's floodgates and you will find an inner strength and calmness. Tell the children to watch closely. Put a small amount of dish soap on the Qtip and as you drop the soap onto the pepper say, "Blessed be God!" ...all the pepper scatters to the side.
Tell them that of course your best friend may still shun you and you will still have to study for tests and you still have to do all the right things as well as you can. You still have to obey God in every way you know how and be the very best person you can be. But in situations where you are torn up inside these praise prayers will help restore some equanimity to your soul.
God bless you!
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