The other week, I acquiesced my younger sister’s request to serve as her substitute as a kids ministry leader at church. Along with another guy, she leads a small group of first grade boys every week. Now, working with kids isn’t exactly a “gift” of mine. Although, I am pretty talented at babysitting children while they are asleep. It’s a tough job, but I have that one down. Regardless, I took on this group of boys for the night.
The curriculum that night was about fear, and how to trust in God to overcome our fears or something along those lines. So after viewing a lively competition of “Leader Fear Factor,” which consisted of frightening competitions such as “who can drink a McDonald’s Happy Meal the quickest,” we sat the boys down for discussion time. The other leader asked the kids to tell us one thing they are afraid of. Their responses were fairly typical.
“I’m afraid of sitting on Ben’s head (or something),” said one boy (editor’s note, his friend’s name was Ben). Another boy quipped, “I’m afraid of the dark,” and yet another was afraid of “gross stuff.” Then it was Ben’s turn. My co-leader turned to Ben, “Ben, what are you afraid of?"
Ben: “Um, one time, during the dry season, in Africa, I was walking over the bridge of Victoria Falls, and I looked down and it was high and I almost fell off. Well I really didn’t almost fall off but kind of. And then also, I’m afraid of having a hippo charge after me, because hippos are big. One time, in Africa a hippo almost ran towards us.”
My co-leader looks at me with a sort of, perplexed awe. “Okay, well yeah, those things are scary, (pause) during the dry season.”
Man, this kid has more experience than me, and he’s only six. He's like, the kid from the Jungle Book (editor's note: yes, I realize that didn't take place in Africa. You get the point.).
Apparently, to experience real adventure, I need to spend more time in Africa; during the dry season of course. I just did not expect to learn this from a first grader in Edina. Yet another lesson in not judging a book by it's cover.
2 comments:
Colleen, you are going to make a great mom someday. But I'll probably be moving about a year and a half so get with the program so I can hold your baby before I go.
laura, same for you.
Hmm... odds arent' looking too good. Maybe I should adopt, like the Jolie-Pitt's.
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