My recent God Moments all happened one Easter Sunday. We are a small rural church and generally had 6 children on any given Sunday. For special events or holidays we might get up to 12 kids, if were lucky.
So, on Easter Sunday I was the only one scheduled to teach and we've been focusing our workshops on the Garden of Gethsemane that Easter. But, for the last two months I couldn't make a decision on which Easter video to show the kids, nothing felt right.
First God Moment: Then I found myself deciding the night before to use one I'd not considered, "The Legend of the Three Trees" and I had no lesson plan (normally not a good idea - but I'd kept hearing that line in my head "your will, not mine" and the thought that the three trees all had their own ideas of what they wanted out of life and then there was God's plan.)
Second God Moment: Sunday morning we had 24 kids, a well mix group ages 4-11!
Third God Moment: We have a small 10 x 10 foot movie theater with only 12 seats. I managed to seat all 24, doubling up a couple of little ones, an older boy had his little cousin sit on his lap, and others sat on stools we pulled in from the art room doubled along one side wall. Not one child complained about where they sat!
Fourth God Moment: The amazing thing is this is an older animated video that's narrated. Not an attention grabber you'd think for today's kids. But on that Sunday it held their full attention!
Fifth God Moment: I'm sure that most of the kids that morning had participated in an Easter Egg Hunt of one kind or another at home, which most likely included some chocolate for breakfast. I did not once have to say "SHHH" once in the 45 minutes I had them!
Prior to watching the movie I told them the Garden of Gethsemane story overview, that our video today was a "fairy tale" about three trees. Things I needed them to look out for were: what did each tree want to be, what did each tree actually become, and what turned out special about what they became (how did God's plan affect each of them)?
Sixth God Moment: We had a great discussion about the three trees afterwards and about praying for God to do his will rather than ours and to listen for God's directions (how might God be leading them - through parents, teachers, friends). Shared a story about myself with them. I told the kids, like the trees, God will use us in unexpected ways to do his work sometimes, other times we just need to be listening for what he wants us to do tomorrow.
Oh, and lastly I did not have enough popcorn or juice for 24 kids, but the day before I'd purchased a container of shortbread Easter cookies for home (that morning as I climbed into my car to head to church, I thought, I need to bring those cookies, and went back into the house to get them). It provided a single cookie for each children during the movie and they thought they were great!
Luanne (still in shock, even though I know God is awesome!)
