Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words

Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words…really?
Kids love to draw pictures. Rainbows, animals, trees, flowers, and the people they love- just to name a few. Our refrigerator doors, bulletin boards, or the walls of our garage all become museums for those priceless drawings that little chubby hands create.  The most precious of those are the ones handed over with the words, “I made this for you.”  Oh, how I miss those beautiful scribblings once made by my two boys. Taking a close look at whatever is conjured up in their little minds is a window into what our kids see as important and worth thinking about. 

If their creations let us in on what they think is important, then what do we gain by asking them to draw what we think is important?  When we take the opportunity to request a drawing, we get to see how they view something.  Simply think about the times you’ve asked your child to draw your family.  We’ve all seen those drawings with arms coming out of heads, a mom’s smiling face, or a dad who is significantly taller than everyone else in the picture.  Their little hearts and minds put on paper how they view any given topic. 

This very idea is why I asked kids to draw their perception of God.  I emphasized that there was no right or wrong answer…this was to be their view of Him.  What does He look like? What is around Him?  Is He sitting or standing?  After they had time to draw this, I asked them to then put themselves in the picture.  Where are they in relation to God in that drawing?  Again…no right or wrong answers. 

The pictures were as varied as the children who drew them.  Some put God in the sky on a cloud with themselves on the ground.  Others made God so big with light all around Him that they couldn’t fit in the picture at all. Still others drew a very human appearing God, so personal that His arms were stretched out toward the drawing of themselves.

We serve a God Who is all of these things and more.  He is above us, in front of us, behind us, and through the Holy Spirit- in us.  He sees all things, He knows all things, He holds all things together.  The earth is like His footstool.  He knows and numbers the stars and at the very same time, knows and numbers the very hairs of our heads.  Two words describe this kind of God.  Sovereign and Intimate. 

The Psalmist David “put on paper” for us many reminders of the God we serve.  I found none that described both God’s sovereignty and His intimacy with us more vividly that Psalm 139:1-18.  This was David’s drawing of God and where he was in the picture.

We all draw things as we view them.  Those sweet creations our kids paper our homes with- the ones with dad bigger and mommy smiling- let us know that our child sees his/her world as wonderful.  Do we know how our kids view God…really?  Ask them to draw Him, and see for yourself.   Maybe a picture really is worth a thousand words, and then some. 

This Week’s Announcements:
What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
Want to say ‘thanks’ to those who serve your children?  Want to give back in some way?  It won’t cost you a thing…except a little time.
Sunday, November 30th is not only the Sunday after Thanksgiving, it is one of those rare (okay…four times a year is not that rare)- 5th Sundays.  Since our volunteers are scheduled on a four Sundays a month schedule, this leaves us with some spots to be filled.  If you are in town and willing to say “thanks for serving” by serving yourself, please contact Christina Busey at christina@stonebridgemarietta.org to see how you can serve on November 30th.  *We will need help in all ages, so claim the spot and age group you want! 

What God is Teaching Us:
This section will have links to the previous Sunday’s lessons.  Feel free (I encourage it!) to open, read, and review with your children.  Click on the links below to view our lessons from 11/2.
This link is no longer available

Funny Things Kids Do and Say…
One mom reported that during BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) they had been learning about how God provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness. At the end of one morning’s study, the mom asked her 3 year old what God gave the Israelites to eat. Finding the right answer in her memory was a quick process.  She proudly said "mayonnaise!"  (Yuck…I would’ve starved!)