Last month sometime the kids and I worked on a craft/bible lesson. There had been quite a bit of arguing between the kids and mom was getting weary. As I prayed once again for wisdom on how to handle the situation, the Lord reminded me of items I had stashed away for a time like this. Months earlier I bought sugar cubes and a can of frosting for this project, so on this particular day, I got them out and called the kids to the table.
(This idea is not my own; I read about it on my friend’s blog here and promptly tucked the post away knowing I’d need it one day.)
I asked the kids to bring their bibles, so they knew we’d be doing something more than sugar cubes. We started building a house with the cubes and when we finished I had them look up and read aloud Proverbs 14:1 – The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. We read other verses, too, that spoke of kindness and love.
We talked about how our words and actions have the power to build our house up, and each other, or tear it down. I explained that when I hear an unkind remark I would remove one block from their house. Kind words and actions have the power to not only build our house back up, but also restore the peace. They could earn blocks back as kindnesses were said or shown.
As with anything, the object lesson worked great for the first week or so and then it wore off. I was grateful for the Lord’s leading, though, and hope the things we talked about will continue to grow in their hearts. Every little opportunity to chat about these things is worthwhile and beneficial. I pray that love will abound in our home.
What other ideas do you have in helping children learn in this area?
Colossians 3:12-15
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
