Summer is over - Children skit

Hey,
I just wrote this and thought I would share it.  Going to have two of my pre-teens work on this.  Feel free to use it if it works for you.

Summer is over – skit by Y Engada Robinson

 

Paul:  (Sitting on a park bench – sighing and looking sad)

Sigh.  Why?  Why did it have to end?  Why did it have to leave?  Why does it have to be over?

Eden: (all happy and bubbly)

Hey Paul!!!  Isn’t it a great day today?  I love Fall, don’t you?

Paul:  (looks at her as if she is crazy)

What are you saying right now? Have you taken a fall on your way over here or something?

Eden: (sits beside him and is now puzzled). 

Back up young one.  I don’t know what you are talking about.  What’s with you anyway.  You are certainly not the same guy who was jumping around the park last time I saw you.  What changed?

Paul:  (Jumps up)

Exactly!! That is exactly right!

Eden: Huh?

Paul:  (Sits down and sighs heavily)

I am not the same boy because of the “change”.  The dreaded change over from summer to fall; the end of old and the start of the new.  I hate it!

Eden:  (Nods her head while still looking confused)

Ohhh I see what you mean.  Yes. Yes, I get it.

Paul:  (Gets all excited happy that someone understands him)

You do?  My sisters think I am being silly and well parents just don’t understand.  So you really know what I mean?

Eden:     Ahhh well no.  I really don’t understand but I don’t want you to be sad any more.  It’s a great day to just enjoy!

Paul:  (Sighs and slumps down on the seat)

 Nobody knows my sorrow.

Eden:   (Starting to be annoyed with Paul)

Paul get over it already.  It’s just the end of summer it’s not the end of the world.  You act as if…

Paul:  (Interrupts her)

Eden!  Think about it for a second.  What happens when summer ends?  What begins in the Fall?

Eden:    Ahhhh I get new clothes?

Paul:      Yes!  Why do you get new clothes?!

Eden:    For school?

Paul:      Yes! YES!  School starts and you know what Eden?  That means teachers homework and tests.  It means no more staying up late and definitely no more park days.

Eden:    Paul, you don’t have to be anxious about school.  Weren’t you at church when they talked about not being anxious about anything but instead pray about everything?

Paul:      Ahhh No?

Eden:    Yeah you were but as usual you must have been playing with Kofi.

Paul:      Seriously Eden? I’m in a crisis and that’s what you are telling me right now?

Eden:    You’re right.  I should focus.  Paul we don’t have to be afraid of change. We don’t have to fear new seasons.  There is good in the fall as there is good in the summer. 

Paul:      Yeah but one has school and one doesn’t.  Oh summer why did you have to leave?

Eden:    Okay you win the award for best drama

Paul:      (Interrupts her)

Eden!!!

Eden:    I know I am sorry.  I’m still being worked on okay.  Look, don’t be anxious about this.  Let’s just pray together.

Paul:      Okay, I will say amen and you do the rest.

Eden:    Sigh.  Father, please help Paul to realize that he doesn’t have to be afraid of change.  Show him that there is good in all seasons.  Help all of us to do well in school and to have fun learning. In Jesus name

Paul:      Amen!  Well come on Eden, we have lots to do and only a short time.  Let’s get going!!!

(They both run off the stage and play ends)

This is the way, walk in it

Isaiah 30:21
"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying "This is the way, walk in it" whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left."


My grandma is 90+ years and she sometimes has trouble remembering some things.  She gets impatient when she wants to things and she is not allowed because we don't trust her to do it.  often times it will be her deciding she has had just enough of being away from her house and she is ready to return home.  I often chuckle to myself when I hear the conversation repeat itself another weekend at my house between her and my mom.  It will go a lot like this;


Mom: "Mama where are you going?"


Gran:  "I am going to my house"


Mom: "Who is going to take you?"


Gran: "I'm going by myself"


Mom: "How are you going to get there?"


Gran: "I'm going to walk"




She would then get her shoes on and go out the door.  Here is where it breaks down.  She wants to go home but she doesn't know how to get there.  She needs someone to tell her where to go.  She needs a voice behind her saying "Mama, this is the way walk in it."


Isn't that what we are like sometimes?  We have a destination in mind.  We say with no apology Heaven is my home and I am going there.  However just like my grandmother, we need help.  We can't get there on our own.  We need the direction of Holy Spirit in our lives.  He will lead the way.  There are those that believe that they can get to Heaven without Jesus.  That is a tragic error.  Jesus is the only way.  He is the Way the Truth and the Life.  Without Him there is no other way to Heaven, to the abundant life and promises of God.


I am grateful to God who will not leave us to perish.  He takes care of His own.  When we go off course He re-routes us to the way.  He points us to the right way.  Often I am the one that He chases behind as I am off on my own tangent - doing my own thing.  It is true, men will do what is right in their own eyes.  I know I have done that.  Oh but His grace truly does abound in my life and yours as well. You are here today by grace and mercy for I know without doubt that none of are blameless.


He is the voice behind you and I say turn around to me again.  Come this way son or daughter. He is our compass of right and faith and truth. HE IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE indeed.  Open your ears to hear His voice loved one.  He beckons unto to you and I right now.  Harken unto Him and do not resist.  Repent and return to Him.  Walk in the way He has set before you and it will lead you home.

Then Sings My Soul

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee.  How great thou art!


The lyrics of this song performed by Brooklyn Tabernacle is currently playing through my lap top speakers.  I am sitting in the back yard and enjoying the Saturday morning breeze with my grandmother.  It means something these words because I really believe that at times my soul does sing.  I came out and sat down and before I did anything I began a praise of words and heart to God.  Without intention I just began to thank God for His goodness and even more as I feasted my eyes on the blessings of having this home.  How great is my God towards me, I hardly deserves His kindness.  Yet, in spite of me, He doesn't withhold His good and perfect gift.




So I will lift my voice all the more and give Him praise for He is worthy of it all.
I bet if we were sitting before each other you would either roll your eyes or give me the smile with the tinged with sarcasm.  However I dare you to do more.  I challenge you to count your blessings, name them one by one and give Jesus all the praise.  Yes, we can find something to complain about in our everyday, but we can chose something different - we can chose Christ and be intentional to give Him praise.




We can echo the virgin mother of Christ as she sang my soul doth magnify the Lord....  It will be worth it in the end.

I Still Believe

So yesterday morning I woke up with pain in my hand.   I got dressed and somehow got to work.  I had expected the pain to cease as it always did time and time again.  I have been given a diagnosis of carpal tunnel.  My hands burn and I am not able to press on one side of my body in sleep mode.  I have numbness and you will find me doing a lot of hand shaking to bring ease to my discomfort. That has been life and so I expected the numbness with the pain of the morning to simply right itself.


I got to my parking lot at the office and I realized I couldn't turn the key that was in the ignition.  I had already used my left hand to bring the gear from drive to park mode.  I could not get my fingers to grip and the pain was not easing but becoming worse.  It was then I felt the tears threatening.  Well, they didn't just threaten but they fell and broke me apart.  I was undone and the strings of music from my impromptu pity party was in full blast. 


A friend of mine saw me and asked the simple question of "how are you?"  which had me hugging her and weeping.  I continued this "weep session" in my office with a desperate urge to lie on the ground in a full blown tantrum.  I was not sure why my response to this situation was so over the top.  I suppose I was afraid.  Well, there is no supposing, I was afraid with no grey areas.  I was afraid of what my tomorrows would bring.  I was really terrified that the swollen unfolding hand was my new normal.  D said I was tired and stressed and this was perhaps why I was so emotional.  I cant say for sure but thankfully it ended after I| was told to take some pain killers and be kind to myself.


I left work early and had myself a "talk session".  What was the matter with you? It is not that bad and this will only be a short problem.  While it was not great it was not the worst.  It was just life. Deal with it I told myself.  There are so many others that are worse and they certainly are not standing around waiting for help.  They get up and get moving....they are the ones that get it done!


I was over it.  Over the drama I was creating for myself. 
I was over it.  Over the crying and pity parties. 
I was over it!


I went on with life.  I stopped focusing on my pain and just believed in my God.


I want to say that the morning after I am able to use my hand.  I am able to type this blog.


I am able and for all of that I| give God praise.  He remains the miracle worker and wows me again and again!  I still believe!

The Lord Has Need of You

Have you ever seen those ads, the one about the army calling people to serve? Something like Uncle Sam has need of you!  I remember the finger pointing towards the viewer and well I went searching and found an image that lines up with my memory.  Perhaps you remember too. 







This call, while not insignificant, is still not as great a calling as the one we have been given.  There is a call indeed to fill the vacant spots of another army.  It is a calling from the Lord.  He calls us to be soldiers, in His army.  He Himself is the commander of this army and into battle we go.  We go knowing that victory is at the end. We win.


I got up this morning with these thoughts, God needs me in this season, in this moment, in this minute, in this second.  The Lord has need of me. 


Jesus when He was twelve went with his earthly parents to celebrate the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem.  They were a days journey out and realized that Jesus was not with them as they were returning home.  Three days later they found Him.  In Luke chapter 2 the scene is described for us:
 ⁴⁸ So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
⁴⁹ And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.


They didn't understand this at the time and some of us don't understand this statement today.  We do not understand the business of our Father. We don't know what He wants from us.  We don't know what would compel Jesus at twelve to sit in the temple for three days listening and speaking.  we don't know what God expects from us.  We cant explain what God needs or worse yet, we cant see why he would even need us.


Rev. Charles Spurgeon in his message dated back to 1857 indicated that there was an undivided consecration to the will of the Father.  The word must suggests that there is "...something in me which prevents me from doing other work. I feel an all-controlling, overwhelming influence which constrains me at all times and in every place to be about my Father's business; the spirit of high, holy, entire, sincere, determined consecration in heart to God."  He goes on to explain that Jesus had in Him a spirit of obedience. He was also compelled by the  sacred calling.  Spurgeon says "He had a sacred call to the work which he had undertaken, and that secret call forced him on." 


The Lord has need of you and I  even if it may seem that no one understands. That call to serve Him must be our only motivation.  We must be tunnelled vision to His purpose.  We must be intentional and resistant to the plans the enemy has to derail, distract and ultimately destroy the purpose God has for our lives.


Great you say.  I am in!  Sign me up for the next thing, whatever that may be.  Actually, what does He require of me?  I am so glad you asked.  I have been asking that very thing for a while now.  God what do you need me to do?  What is my purpose?  What is my sacred calling?


Well, in searching I found what someone has termed the Micah mandate.  It leaves no one out but this requirement is for every man woman and child of God.  The how may look differently as we are not carbon copies of each other.  However, the end result will be the same being about the Father's business compelled by a must that that over takes us as we serve Him.  The bible says in Micah 6:8:

AMP

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

MSG

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

I will say it again, the Lord has need of you.  You too are useful and not expected to do any of this on your own.  Look at the apostles and the disciples of the early church.  They ministered often times together.  It was an individual commitment but a team effort to bring about God's mandate.  Paul, in the latter part of his ministry said to Timothy (2 Tim 4:9-11)


^"9 Do your best to come to me quickly, ¹⁰ for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry."




There is a place for you in the ministry of The King of Kings. He doesn't have to but He chooses to use you and I as instruments in His hands.  He doesn't treat us as disposable garbage but valuable and worthy of His son's blood and scourging.  The Lord has need of you. Will you say yes?