Excerpt from Just a Minute by Wess Stafford....
A famous research scientist was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter, who asked him why he thought he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others?
He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor -- a veritable sea of milk.
When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture, or punishing him, she said, "Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?"
Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, "You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop. Which would you prefer?" He chose the sponge, and together they cleaned up the milk.
His mother then said, "You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water so you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it." The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!
This renowned scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment "doesn't work," we usually learn something valuable from it. (151-152)
What a powerful image of giving kids an opportunity to make mistakes and let them know that it's okay. I pray that I can remember this story when my kiddos make a huge mess or spill something. Instead of responding in anger, I hope that I can respond with patience and the kindness of this mother.
Showing posts with label Wess Stafford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wess Stafford. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
Things I love about Sunday:
Things I love about THIS Sunday:
- My ritual of listening to worship music on Pandora while I get ready in the morning
- The sound of an excited "Hi Miss Emily!"
- Catching up with people after a busy week
- Singing with the kids
- Chatting with a puppet about Jesus and things we can learn from Him
- Problem solving when something doesn't run smoothly
- Sitting in the back of the church foyer chatting with a mom and their baby who doesn't want to be in the nursery (or quietly sit through the service)
- Seeing happy kids leaving KidTown, excited to come back again
- Taking naps on the couch
Things I love about THIS Sunday:
- The comfort of gray skies and rain that is still coming down, making the earth a lovely shade of green
- New curriculum to teach the K-3 kids
- Lunch with my brother at Orrapin on Queen Anne
- Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
- Laying on the couch and reading my newest book, Just a Minute by Wess Stafford
Praising the Lord for all that is good and right on this Sabbath day.
"I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.' Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure."
Psalm 16:2,9
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Too Small to Ignore
Excerpt from Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford:
Compassion's South Korea director, Dr. Justin Suh, and members of his board of directors were visiting our work in Ecuador and arrived at a certain project one evening. They were scheduled to see the program the next morning.
"We are so grateful for your visit to us," the pastor said when they climbed out of the minibus. "But I'm so very sorry to inform you that tomorrow will not be a typical day at our project. I know you want to meet the children and see what we are trying to do for them in this desperate community, but..." At this, the man's throat began to tighten. "The children will not be gathering as usual tomorrow. Instead, we will have a funeral."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "Two of our little boys, brothers, were crossing the busy street to come to the project yesterday and were struck by a huge truck. The eight-year-old was severely injured and is in intensive care at the city hospital. But the little six-year-old was crushed and died in the dirty street. He was a wonderful little boy. We are all brokenhearted."
Justin Suh replied, "Oh, my brother, we are so very sorry."
The pastor wiped a tear and continued, "In our culture, children do not generally attend funerals, especially tragic ones like this. So I'm afraid you will not see among us what you came so far to see."
The South Korean leaders conferred and then offered, "Would it be all right if we came anyway, sat with your congregation, and just grieved with our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters in their great loss? We know something of such great sorrow in our own land."
The next morning when the Korean delegation arrived at the little church, the sanctuary was filled to capacity. To their surprise, some sixty of the mourners sitting on the coarse wooden benches were children. The pastor met visitors at the door and just shrugged his shoulders; he had no explanation for why so many children had shown up for a funeral.
While waiting for the service to begin, our national staff members began to move among the children, quietly talking with them in Spanish. Eventually Justin and his group heard the report. Child after child had said, "He was my friend. He is the one who told me of Jesus' love. He helped me invite Jesus into my heart. I'm sad, but I've come today to send him to his heavenly home."
This little Ecuadorian child had led over fifty of his friends to Jesus! His life's work was gloriously accomplished by the tender age of six. God needed a great evangelist for that village. He needed a child.
Compassion's South Korea director, Dr. Justin Suh, and members of his board of directors were visiting our work in Ecuador and arrived at a certain project one evening. They were scheduled to see the program the next morning.
"We are so grateful for your visit to us," the pastor said when they climbed out of the minibus. "But I'm so very sorry to inform you that tomorrow will not be a typical day at our project. I know you want to meet the children and see what we are trying to do for them in this desperate community, but..." At this, the man's throat began to tighten. "The children will not be gathering as usual tomorrow. Instead, we will have a funeral."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "Two of our little boys, brothers, were crossing the busy street to come to the project yesterday and were struck by a huge truck. The eight-year-old was severely injured and is in intensive care at the city hospital. But the little six-year-old was crushed and died in the dirty street. He was a wonderful little boy. We are all brokenhearted."
Justin Suh replied, "Oh, my brother, we are so very sorry."
The pastor wiped a tear and continued, "In our culture, children do not generally attend funerals, especially tragic ones like this. So I'm afraid you will not see among us what you came so far to see."
The South Korean leaders conferred and then offered, "Would it be all right if we came anyway, sat with your congregation, and just grieved with our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters in their great loss? We know something of such great sorrow in our own land."
The next morning when the Korean delegation arrived at the little church, the sanctuary was filled to capacity. To their surprise, some sixty of the mourners sitting on the coarse wooden benches were children. The pastor met visitors at the door and just shrugged his shoulders; he had no explanation for why so many children had shown up for a funeral.
While waiting for the service to begin, our national staff members began to move among the children, quietly talking with them in Spanish. Eventually Justin and his group heard the report. Child after child had said, "He was my friend. He is the one who told me of Jesus' love. He helped me invite Jesus into my heart. I'm sad, but I've come today to send him to his heavenly home."
This little Ecuadorian child had led over fifty of his friends to Jesus! His life's work was gloriously accomplished by the tender age of six. God needed a great evangelist for that village. He needed a child.
I have been so incredibly touched by this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in going into ministry, even if you don't think you want to serve children. This book will change your outlook on how children can be a part of the church TODAY.
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