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Integrity Pie
by Nancy Quinn My hands moved quickly. The lunch crowd would be appearing soon and I had to finish the pies quickly. Working fast, I mixed my ingredients together and set the pies on the edge of the shelf. "Nancy, time to come in for lunch." Called my mom. Wiping the sand off my hands, I stepped out of my sandbox and my imaginary restaurant. Did you ever pretend as a kid? As a little girl, I pretended my baby dolls were real, my sandbox was a restaurant where I made mud and sand pies, and my playhouse was a restaurant one day and a house the next. The imaginary games children play prepare them for adulthood and they learn these games by watching and mimicking their parents. I remember one day my cousin playing in our little white playhouse with my sister and me. Gripping the broom, she yelled "get your behinds out of the house. I'm cleaning!" Except she used more creative language which she mimicked from what she heard her mom say often. Isn't that a sobering thought to know our children watch our every move? We can tell them what to do, but if we don't SHOW them, our words don't mean much. I'm sure my cousin's mother told her not to use swear words, but by using them herself, she weakened the lesson she tried to teach her daughter. Do you listen closely sometimes when your children are involved in their imaginary adventures? Are they mirroring your integrity and your love for Christ? I John 3:18 "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." Proverbs 17:27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered." Ephesians 5:1 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." May God bless these words as I strive to encourage others in their walk with Christ. Please contact me if you would like to request a specific lesson that Lucy Mouse can teach your children or if you would like a coloring page to be sent to match the story! Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |