Doubt is Out!

Sometimes it takes a little ingenuity to put over a  lesson to the kids at our Wednesday night session.  The last two Bible stories were set in scenes from the Sea of Galilee, so we had a nautical theme.  We had done the one where Jesus walked on water, and this week's was when Jesus calmed the storm. The illustrations and activities suggested seemed a little lackluster, and the children whizzed through them in record speed.

Their attention was riveted though, when I told them we were going to make paper boats.  "We don't know how!" they complained, but readily began folding the paper as I demonstrated for them.  I had practiced at home, even showing Howard how to master the trick I had learned in childhood.  (Lacking many toys or playthings growing up, we kids had to be creative!)

With a little help, their boats began to take shape, although they wanted to wear the paper hat that appeared first.  It's funny how one does a procedure seemingly automatically, such as slipping a finger into the folds of paper, opening and flattening it, then realizing you have to direct each step for the little ones.

The final hurrah when we pulled the ends to reveal the boat that popped up brought looks of amazement and satisfaction. I wanted them to write "Peace, be still," on the sides, but in their imaginations the little sailors were already sailing the stormy sea.

Last week, we had adapted the kids' song, "Peter, James, John in a Sailboat," to include, "Jesus came walking on the water," and other verses of Peter's short water walk and his cry for help from Jesus.  For this week, Howard and I had added verses about Jesus sleeping on the pillow, the stormy billows, "Peace be still," and not being afraid, with copies for each child.

As Howard picked the lively tune on the guitar, the children became a parade marching around the table, singing lustily and loudly from the sheets they waved in their hands.  (I was beginning to doubt the axiom, "Music soothes the savage beast.")

Hopefully, the theme of  "Do not doubt Jesus" stayed with them and they will think of it when they look at their paper boats they proudly took home!