It's been a rough week.....I have a bunion....AND a hammer toe - just starting to make themselves known. John's car died - really dead. Thanksgiving fell this year on the second anniversary of my nephews' passing. My visiting Sister In Law wound up in our local hospital on the day after Thanksgiving, and was their guest for a few days while they divested her of a multiplicity of kidney stones. Just last night, Baby Girl broke three toes while babysitting.....
When the alarm rang this morning at 6:00 a.m., for the briefest of moments I considered ignoring it and burying myself so far under the covers that Jethro Gibbs and the whole NCIS team wouldn't be able to find me. But there is no rest for the wicked, or for Children's Ministers either. This was the first Sunday of Advent AND a Lolapalooza day. Lolapalooza occurs on the Fifth Sunday - it gives the Sunday School teachers a well deserved break, and provides a chance for me to teach the kids....grade K - 5. It's kind of a mini Vacation Bible School - we have a lesson, craft, game, and a snack - all centered around the theme of the day. It will come as no surprise that today's lesson was the building of a Nativity. As we were gathered around the table, enjoying our appropriately themed snack of popcorn and Little Debbie Christmas Tree Brownies, the talk turned to pets. Baby Girl (who was serving as my assistant) mentioned how fat our CrackHouse Puppy is. Challenged by the assemblage to show just how fat, Baby Girl drew on the board - a very round Puppy Dog. A second grade boy jumped up to complete the drawing....pointy ears, glaring eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth turned my sweet puppy into a nasty gremlin dog. While we were discussing the merits of Canine Facial Expressions, another precious second grader stole to the board, picked up the chalk and made a quick scribble....whereupon she slyly announced to the room that she had fixed him good and well....the puppy was now "a boy". For a moment, I was unsure as to her meaning, until I noticed the additional appendage....yep - it was a boy alright. What exactly does one say to that? "OK, time to clean up", that's what!!
As we were over by the craft area, I grabbed my coffee cup to take a much needed fortifying swig. Fortunately, I looked down just before the cup reached my lips...."Blergh....there is GLITTER in my coffee", I moaned. (Yes.....there were glittering parts to our Nativity craft - what can I say? I am a big fan of glitter!) As one, my little charges shouted "oohh - let me see", so I put the cup down on the table for them to take a gander. "COOL!"....."That's so pretty"......."I've never seen THAT before"....They were thrilled with the glittery coffee. Where I only saw a disaster, they saw the beauty, the whimsy, the art. They laughed at the sight, and danced from the sheer novelty of the moment. It was then, that the students became the teacher....reminding me that the quality of your life has more to do with your perspective than your circumstance. A fine lesson to be sure, on this first Sunday of Advent....."And a little Child shall lead them.....".......Thus endeth the lesson.
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