Bobby the Snake....

When I tell the kids stories at school, I always use "Bobby the Snake" to represent Satan. I never say "Satan", but they know the characteristics of "Bobby the Snake" by the way I use him in the stories. He is a bad guy. The one that wants you to lie to your parents or disobey them or leave you in the dark forest after he tells you he's your friend and he wants you to stay out there with him. He is manipulating, cunning and of course, he's good at it. He makes bad look good.

Picture this:
The other day, I covered one of the tables with a very large piece of paper. It is a center the kids can go to create whatever they want with crayons and markers. As I got all the kids settled in their centers, I went and sat across from one of my little boys at creation table. I was going to just doodle with him. When I glanced over at what he was drawing, I noticed it looked a lot like a forest (one of the scenes in one of the stories I tell them). So I started asking him questions about his picture. It turns out he was drawing the story. The forest...Adam...the good animals...the good fruit...the bad animals....the bad fruit. Whatever he retained from the story, he was putting it on the paper. It was amazing, seriously. The morals and all.

The best part:
So we start talking about Bobby the Snake. And he goes on to tell me that he likes Bobby the snake.

Pay close attention here:
At first, I was like : WHAT?!! (in my mind, lol)
So I started to tell him that Bobby the Snake was bad and why he was bad.
Then when he explained himself in his little three year old way, I realized that he didn't like Bobby the Snake because he was bad. He just felt bad not liking him. Like, no one, not even Bobby the Snake should be not liked. He was genuine and sincere. And it seemed as if he wanted to be Bobby the Snakes buddy...be his friend cause no one else liked him. It seemed as if he wanted to love his enemy. It came out of such a sweetness in him. Not even out of ignorance. Not out of a love for evil. But out of innocence. Out of wanting to love on, even him, even though he was "bad".

I could of melted right there in the chair.

Maybe they learn from me. Maybe God loves them through me. Maybe He manifests Himself to them as much as I'm willing.

And maybe...just maybe...God loves me too. Maybe He teaches me through them. And loves me through them. And manifests Himself to me through them. Maybe He wants to pour His Love on me as much as He wants to pour His Love on them. Maybe He's there. Stirring in our class. Just waiting for the perfect moments to show up. And have an encounter with us. I feel like I need to be more aware. Not just of when He wants to move through me...but also when He wants to move for me. Maybe I need to recieve the fact that He would do that.

And maybe sometimes when we look into each others eyes at school, we're actually looking at Him.

Lord, please grant us with eyes to see and ears and to hear! Please pierce through our flesh! Help us to see and hear you throughout our busy lives. Help us slow down and be more still, to inhale you and receive encounters with You!

I love and adore You, Father! And I thank You for the availability! For Your Love!
Amen.

Afterthought:
There's so much in here....
Matthew 5:40-48
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.