I watch the children engaged in Sunday School activities. One child, dressed in costume as Ezra, steps up on a wooden platform and reads the Bible aloud to a small group. Another child, pretending to be Ezra the scribe, sits and copies Bible verses. Nearby, children are bowling, knocking over labeled juice bottles and arranging them in Bible book order by division: Law, History, Poetry and Wisdom, and Major Prophets. A third group is engaged learning a Bible verse with a bean bag game. Prayer, thought and preparation birthed these learning activities.
Yet, when I glance at another area of the classroom, I see a few children who have wandered away from learning about God's word. They are enthralled with a handful of micro toys one boy brought from home. These children are momentary lost sheep of this Sunday School activity time. I am challenged to plan better and study these individual sheep more to know how I can keep them in the fold. They are worth the extra effort. After all, I realize I spent decades as a lost one. My Shepherd, Jesus, made extra effort to bring me into the fold. How could I do any less for these young sheep of His pasture?
Isaiah 53:6 "We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (NIV)
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Precious pictures of children . . . both intune and out. Doesn't take much to distract, does it? Them or us . . .