Hey y'all!

I hope you're doing well and staying healthy! Today I'd like to tell you about something one of my sweet 1st graders said at church. This morning we started preparing for Christmas by looking at Isaiah 9:6 and the main point "God keeps His promises". We had just finished discussing that Jesus was the one being talked about in Isaiah 9:6 and that Christmas is when we celebrate His birthday. I was about to start explaining our little craft when AD raised her hand. I stopped and said "Do you have a question?" She answered "Yes Ms Rebekah, um...Can you give God a present?" I smiled behind my mask and told her "It would be hard to give him a present in a box, but you can give him a present by helping your mom with a happy heart, or being kind to your little sister. Those things make God smile just like getting a present makes us smile." She got excited and said "I can do that!".

Then R gave the suggestion that she could just have a present in her hand when she died and then give it to God when she got to Heaven. I told R that was a nice idea but it wasn't really how that worked and she didn't have to wait until she died. I had the opportunity to share with these kiddos how God delights in them and watched as their eyes got as big as saucers while they listened with wonder. I love their sweet hearts and I'm so blessed to be able to share the things I'm learning about God with them so they don't have to wait until they're in their 20s. 

As you go about your week and into this time of preparing for Christmas I'd like you to think about AD's question with one word added "How can you give God a present?" I hope this question will follow you through the Christmas season, just as it will follow me. 

Joy and peace to you,

Rebekah Sartain