It is Amazing What Can Happen if you Look Back

Falkland Cross

Stories that happened to you first hand are always the ones that you remember best but I do remember  the number of meetings I attended with Sunday School teacher and others with the elders of the church where stories and events were shared. 

During my time as a minister I was blessed so often to be surrounded by people who seemed to have that wonderful knack of getting children to relax and tell you things exactly how they saw life. My own son was often the cause of many such tales. Always ready with his thoughts and never afraid to share them. 

I also remember fondly the Sunday School teacher who just loved to sit down and rather than just tell a story would gather the children in a circle and sitting on the floor would act out the lesson, such an art. She was the source of many of the stories I recall, fortunately I made notes of those tales. 

Writing this blog brings back many of them even those that were not put to paper. So here are a few more.

The Sunday School lesson was about Lot's wife. The teacher was describing the journey she and Lot were making. "Would you believe it ?" she said, "God had told them not to look back or they would suffer."

The children were intent.

"Now Lot's wife did just what she was told not to do. She looked back and turned into a pillar of salt."

At this point one of the children interrupted.

"My mother did just the same as that when she was driving" he announced with gusto, " and she turned into a telephone pole."

Now after that there is just nowhere left to turn.

 One of those that certainly put me in my place. That son of mine asked me one day why I always bowed my head and seemed to talk to myself before preaching a sermon. I was impressed that he had noticed this. 

I explained to him that what I was in fact doing was asking God to help me preach a very good sermon.

"How come he does not answer Dad?"

 Last one for today involves the same lady as above in the story of Lot's wife.

Once again she was telling the tale for the lesson in her way. It was never just a street people walked along. The street was described in detail. 

So when it came to telling the story of the Good Samaritan, it was not just a man lying at the side of the street. It was a man badly bruised about the face and head. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth. She described in great detail those who looked and walked past.

Building up to the Good Samaritan she said to the children, "What would you have done if you had been there that day and saw this poor man?"

One little girl put up her hand, "I think I would throw up and be sick," she said.