Unless ye become like little children

During church camp @ Halls Gap in mid-April, we explored the theme of David and Goliath and what we should do with the "giants" in our lives.

Be they lack of self-esteem, the pain of the past, fear of certain things, these "giants" disrupt our lives, hold us back from being all that we can, and keep us paralyzed.

The kids explored the same theme in their program, and one of the interesting things they did was a pebble collage with the word PRAY made of black pebbles and a random pattern of grey/white pebbles around it. So they are reminded that Prayer is the answer when dealing with their own giants.

The kids also did an artistic interpretation of what their "giants" were.

Beth identified her "giants" in words and images: Grumpy. Fussy. Need to be organized.

I was astounded at her self-perception. And all this time I thought my many lectures (and private disappointments) about her mood extremes and her lack of self-discipline were like water on a duck's back. There for a moment - then they slide off and are lost. She's obviously done a bit of reflecting on her own, which I'm grateful for.

Jordanne's work was just as amazing.

She had coloured in what looked like a purple and black tornado right down the centre of her sheet.

When asked what her drawing meant, she said, "The monster in the dark."

"Is that what you're afraid of - the dark?"

"Yes, but I'm not afraid now. Because God is still here."

And she made that faith statement consistently throughout the camp to anyone who asked what her drawing meant.

Even now when the subject of Night and Sleeping and The Dark comes up, she says the same thing: God is still here. And she believes it with all her heart. I know because she no longer fears the dark like she sometimes used to. She simply acknowledges that it is dark, asserts that she is not afraid, and explains why: God is still here.

Children are the best demonstrations of why Jesus said we have to become like children to enter the kingdom of God.

How marvellous and REAL is our God, who talks to little children and helps them understand what adults sometimes fail to grasp.