(original artwork for this project byKathleen Snider)
How surreal. This afternoon I'd gone to my church's website to look something up and the first sentence of a story in the Youth section caught my eye. I thought, "Well, why does that look familiar?" So I clicked on it and lo and behold, it was one of my stories that I'd written around 25 years ago! Back in the early 80s two other writers and I spent 3 years writing Sunday School curriculum for primary aged children. The curriculum, to my knowledge, has been used by our English-speaking churches worldwide. Since it's been years since my own children have been in that age group I didn't know if our writing was still being used or not...but my random visit to the website showed me that indeed it is. I've mentioned several times in my blog about this writing so here's a sample of my child-level writing:
"A Broken Heart"
Julie and Tara had volunteered to stay after Sunday school to help Mrs. Evans, their teacher, decorate the classroom. First they took down the cutouts of snowflakes and other wintertime decorations, setting them neatly on the table. After Mrs. Evans rummaged around a bit in a cupboard, she came over to the table with a big box in her arms and put it down.
“It will sure be nice to put these winter things away and hang up some springtime decorations,” said Mrs. Evans, smiling at the girls. “I know spring doesn't really come until next month. But after all the ice and snow we've had, I'm really looking forward to seeing the trees budding and the sun shining!”
“What do you have in the box?” Tara asked.
“The Garden of Eden.” Mrs. Evans opened the box and very carefully eased the miniature garden onto the table.
“Oh, how neat!” Julie exclaimed in delight as she and Tara examined Mrs. Evans' creation. She had made tiny trees and flowers, little lambs out of cotton, and a pond with miniature ducks on it. There were even dolls representing Adam and Eve! And right in the center of the garden was a red heart.
“What is that heart doing there?” Tara wondered aloud, looking at it curiously.
Mrs. Evans smiled at her. “Touch it,” she said.
Tara gave a questioning look, but when her teacher nodded she reached out and touched the heart. To her amazement it fell apart!
“It broke!” Tara turned to her teacher. “Oh, Mrs. Evans, I'm sorry!”
“No, no, don't worry Tara .” Mrs. Evans hugged the girl. “It's supposed to break.”
“But, why?” Julie wanted to know.
“Because it represents God's heart,” Mrs. Evans said as she put the pieces together again. “You see, God loved Adam and Eve with all His heart. He made Adam in His own image. Then, when they sinned and went against the things God had taught them, it broke His heart.”
“That's so sad,” Tara sighed.
“Yes, it was sad for them. But our lives can have a happy ending,” Mrs. Evans told the girls as she set the rebuilt heart back into the garden. “It hurts Jesus when we sin. But, if we pray to Him and tell Him we're sorry for our sins, just as Tara told me she was sorry for breaking the heart, it makes Jesus happy. And our hearts are happy too!
“It will sure be nice to put these winter things away and hang up some springtime decorations,” said Mrs. Evans, smiling at the girls. “I know spring doesn't really come until next month. But after all the ice and snow we've had, I'm really looking forward to seeing the trees budding and the sun shining!”
“What do you have in the box?” Tara asked.
“The Garden of Eden.” Mrs. Evans opened the box and very carefully eased the miniature garden onto the table.
“Oh, how neat!” Julie exclaimed in delight as she and Tara examined Mrs. Evans' creation. She had made tiny trees and flowers, little lambs out of cotton, and a pond with miniature ducks on it. There were even dolls representing Adam and Eve! And right in the center of the garden was a red heart.
“What is that heart doing there?” Tara wondered aloud, looking at it curiously.
Mrs. Evans smiled at her. “Touch it,” she said.
Tara gave a questioning look, but when her teacher nodded she reached out and touched the heart. To her amazement it fell apart!
“It broke!” Tara turned to her teacher. “Oh, Mrs. Evans, I'm sorry!”
“No, no, don't worry Tara .” Mrs. Evans hugged the girl. “It's supposed to break.”
“But, why?” Julie wanted to know.
“Because it represents God's heart,” Mrs. Evans said as she put the pieces together again. “You see, God loved Adam and Eve with all His heart. He made Adam in His own image. Then, when they sinned and went against the things God had taught them, it broke His heart.”
“That's so sad,” Tara sighed.
“Yes, it was sad for them. But our lives can have a happy ending,” Mrs. Evans told the girls as she set the rebuilt heart back into the garden. “It hurts Jesus when we sin. But, if we pray to Him and tell Him we're sorry for our sins, just as Tara told me she was sorry for breaking the heart, it makes Jesus happy. And our hearts are happy too!
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
— Romans 3:23 --
And -- back to my 'adult' voice here -- isn't it wonderful to know it's just that simple? What a trip down memory lane!
2 comments:
It is a gifted writer who can take great theological truth and communicate it to a child. You're in good company:
"Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you.”
(From The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis)
Wow! You must be so flattered. Good for you!
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