This week we will be talking about how God is with us with everything we do and will reinforce it with a simple game. God’s presence and wisdom is in everything we do and that the possibilities of what we can do in each moment are infinite. When we are open and approach each moment without fear or expectations, the work we do has infinite possibilities. Most people would define work as something that is hard to do and creativity as something fun. But when we are open to the sacred guidance that is abundant in the universe, work and creativity become the same thing. The most creative and inspiring work can be accomplished when we are open to all possibilities. Being open to infinite possibilities means letting inspiration flow freely — and not blocking that flow with thoughts of what we want to happen or what other people might think of what we are doing.
Matthew 19:26 - Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Affirmation: In each moment there are infinite possibilities and therefore I will _________ (fill in with words that are meaningful to you. Such as I will trust that all will work out in the end and move forward with confidence. Or I will open my mind and heart to the divine inspiration to guide me.
Story:
GOD’S LITTLE WORKSHOP - A story about George Washington Carver
Have you ever eaten peanut butter? Think about a peanut butter sandwich, or perhaps you like your peanuts sprinkled on ice cream. Peanuts are nutritious and are used in cookies and other foods. Can you imagine making laundry soap from peanuts? Or hand lotion? Or printer’s ink? What about shoe polish, glue, or carpet — all made from the peanut plant? You may not be able to imagine making those things from peanuts, but there was someone who actually did. He believed there are infinite possibilities, even from peanuts.
His name was George Washington Carver, and he was born a slave during a time when most black people who lived in America were slaves. While he was a baby, the Civil War ended and he was free. His parents were no longer living, but the people who cared for George were loving and kind, and he learned a great deal from them.
George loved to learn, and he found great joy in learning about plants. Many hours were spent in the woods each day, studying all the growing things and listening in his heart to what they could teach him. George felt the Spirit was talking to him through the plants. When he grew up, he said, “I love to think of nature as unlimited broadcasting stations, through which God speaks to us every day, every hour and every moment of our lives, if we will only tune in and remain so.”
George’s neighbors and friends thought tending to flowers and plants a foolish waste of time, so George made a secret garden where he could care for the little plants he called his “pets.” He would carefully dig up plants and move them to his garden if he thought they needed extra care. If he accidentally broke a root or stem, he would cry as if he had hurt a friend. When people realized the plants he cared for grew healthy and strong, they called George “the plant doctor,” and they would come from miles around to ask his help. He wanted to keep learning, but there were no schools nearby. So he left his home at eleven years old to go to school; even though some people thought he should become an artist or a singer, George eventually became a plant scientist, which is called a botanist. He spent as much time outside in nature as he did in the laboratory and classroom. George understood that it was not enough to work hard; he had to be open to what could happen through his efforts.
So, what about those peanuts? Why did George learn so much about peanuts? The Southern farmers had grown cotton plants for many years, but growing cotton every year was not healthy for the soil. Growing beans or peanuts gives tired soil the nutrients needed to stay healthy. George encouraged the farmers to grow peanuts, and it worked really well. The soil became healthier, and there were abundant crops. But when the farmers asked George what to do with all those peanuts, George had to think. He knew there were many possibilities — maybe infinite possibilities — if he were willing to work hard and let God’s power flow through everything he did. He said, “God is going to reveal to us things He never revealed before if we put our hands in His.”
The peanut is an unusual plant. Peanuts are really not like nuts that grow on trees; they are more closely related to beans. The plants have little yellow flowers that bloom and then bend over and grow back into the ground! The peanuts grow on the end of that stem — under the ground, hidden from the sun. George worked a long time in the laboratory to learn everything he could about the unusual peanut plant. He shared everything he learned with the farmers and other scientists and became famous. Years later, after George had discovered over three hundred uses for peanuts, a man asked, “Dr. Carver, how did you learn all these things?” George answered, “From an old book.” “What book?” the man asked. “The Bible,” George replied. The man was surprised and asked, “Does the Bible tell about peanuts?” “No sir,” George explained, “but it tells about the God who made the peanut. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut, and He did.” George never took credit for his accomplishments. He said, “Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless.” George felt that it was divine power that flowed through him and all creation. George was a great scientist who changed the world with his work, but he was humble and called his laboratory God’s Little Workshop.
*Lesson from A JOYFUL PATH: Spiritual Curriculum for Young Hearts and Minds, Year 1 of the Inner Wisdom Series
Opmerkingen