Rotten

I love when God makes object lessons so clear and easy to communicate with my children!

This afternoon as we arrived home from school I was unloading our 'stuff' and fumbling to unlock the house. Meanwhile, the children were lingering around our big partially-carved pumpkins.

"Eww!" Why is all this yucky stuff in he-ya?" R asked.
Suddenly P started crying. Then I heard K sniffling.
"Ma-ma!!! We will not e-ben be able to put a candle in it for Hall-o-weeeeeen!"
"I loved my punkin! Why did this happen?"
They wailed, heartbroken, with scrunched up faces--truly a five year old's version of the ugly cry.

Then I had a God-piphany.

I encouraged them to take a deep breath, gathered them around and explained why it happened. I showed them the stems and described how the pumpkins had grown connected to a vine. Once that lifeline was severed and we dressed them up and hollowed them out they started dying. I explained that there were especially vulnerable to the rains we have been experiencing.

Then, in 5 year old language, I told them what the Bible had to say about PEOPLE staying connected to the vine of God's love. How vulnerable we were to getting just as yucky and ruined inside if not for the life that God gives our hearts.

The lesson continued as they pressed on the pumpkin slightly and saw how easily it collapsed. In a matter of seconds that once hearty, heavy pumpkin fell apart.

I am not sure if they got it...but I walked away amazed at how all of creation tells the story of God. We are told in Scripture that "even the rocks will cry out." Today I learned that sometimes the pumpkins do too.