PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN KIDS & FAMILIES date
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I’m so glad that God made a way for me to be with Him forever.
Inspire (for parents) My girls were four and six when our new black and white kitten, Shadow, died. We came home from church one night and he was just gone. It provided a great opportunity for me to talk with them about death. The light of life in Shadow’s eyes was gone—what made Shadow such an adorable and fun-loving kitten was gone. What was left was not really Shadow at all. I was quite proud of how I had redeemed the moment, still unaware of the lesson God wanted to teach.
responded. She grabbed my hand and tugged me into her bedroom where she could see the front lawn from her window. “Jesus’ footprints are in the snow!” she excitedly exclaimed. There had been a dusting of snow during the night. On the sidewalk in front of our home stood our trash container surrounded by the trash man’s footprints. But to our fouryear-old, those prints were proof that Jesus had personally taken Shadow to be with Him. Some day it will be my turn. I’m so glad that God made a way for me to be with Him forever.
As the girls trotted off to play, their dad and I discussed how to dispose of the body. It was the by Janet Lee middle of winter so a burial in the backyard was out of the question. At one point, Dad suggested we toss Shadow in the trash since pick-up was the next morning. We d eventually abandoned that idea (turns 3 (The Fall an re: Genesis 2— tu ip cr S out it’s illegal anyway) but had no idea Restoration) ith that little ears were listening. for Me to Be w od Made a Way Main Point: G Early the next morning, Megan Him Forever ur family to bounded into our bedroom with the ed to allow yo gn si de is ce your children This resour announcement “Mommy, Shadow is Word before ’s od G nts in e have tim plan is for pare in heaven with Jesus.” I quickly and Because God’s . ith, ch fa ur s n’ ch re nd ild atte of their ch rs re rtu silently sorted through my theological nu al tu re your child n to be the spiri grow spiritually, u yo beliefs about animals and heaven but as at th we know ally as well. her confident joy was arresting. “How will grow spiritu do you know, sweetheart?” was all I
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Equip (for parents) Of the food in the garden, God instructed Adam and Eve, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:16–17). The serpent—the deceiver—assured the woman she would not die as soon as she ate the fruit, but would know good and evil just as the Lord. So, with her husband at her side, Eve made the choice to eat the fruit. Adam followed by taking the fruit she offered. Then they hid; sin had entered humanity. Although they did not die physically, the moment they ate from the tree, they died spiritually. Death would now be part of the human experience. No longer would they live forever, eating from the tree of life, in perfect relationship with God Himself. God knew what needed to be done to restore what had been broken. God put a plan into place to end all death, for He alone is the Truth and the life. Adam and Eve’s first response to their sin was to run and hide. Our children (and we for that matter) often have the same response. They mess up and their humanity tells them to hide what they’ve done. But our heavenly Father wants nothing more than for them to come out into the open and allow themselves to be seen by Him. As parents, we can help them do this. When our children run to hide and cover, let’s pursue them and remind them we still love them even though they’ve messed up. God still loves them and won’t ever stop loving them. Embrace them and talk things through with them as they learn that, while it may be painful, we will find the most healing and restoration when we choose to live broken and exposed before God.
REMEMBER versE
“The Lord causes his miracles to be remembered. He is kind and tender.” Psalm 111:4 (NIrV)
Support (for parents & kids) Sometime this week, read with your child the biblical account of the fall of man in Genesis 3:1–10. Before reading, pray as a family that God would help each of you to understand both your sin and His love. Then think of questions that review what you just read such as, “What did the serpent tell Eve?” or “What did Adam and Eve do after they ate the fruit?” Just for fun, create a garden setting. Sit under a tree or find a nearby park as you read. After you’ve read, ask your children if they understand what sin is. Explain that anytime we choose to disobey God, we’re sinning. Adam and Eve disobeyed God when they ate the fruit He told them not to eat. Though our sin makes God sad, He doesn’t want us to try to hide our sins from Him like Adam and Eve tried to. He wants to talk to us about our sins, and He wants to forgive us. When you’re finished, share with your children that what they just heard is a part of The Big God Story in the Bible, and they’ll hear it in church. Ask your children to share any questions they have about the story or sin. End your time by thanking God for forgiving you when you sin. Ask Him to give each of you the courage to talk to Him when you sin.
© 2010 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.