This week's In other words

"God has delivered us, He has parted waters for us, He has made water gush forth from rocks and sent us our own manna from heaven. He has brought us into our own Promised Land. Will I miss the opportunity to tell the story to our children?"~ Ann Voskamp, Holy Experience ~
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This week's quote focuses on God's miracles as He led the Hebrew people, later to be called the Israelites out of bondage of slavery in Egypt into the Land that He had prepared for them. The stories of this journey can be found beginning in the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament in the Bible.

I have had the privilege to teach these lessons to children. The most memorable group of children was on the high desert of the Southwest US. They were Native Americans, and I was their kindergarten teacher. It was a Christian Mission school so we were permitted to have Christian Education classes.

I will never forget how I began the story inside in our classroom(symbolizing Egypt), and since the weather was good, in the coming days, took the story outside. Using dress up clothes, and the girls carrying dolls, we ventured out. Our class had a Moses and as we traveled the desert path, it was so easy to visualize the hardships and the difficulties that the Hebrew people faced. We 'pretended' to camp for the night, and the children closed their eyes, and with delight found crackers symbolizing manna when they 'woke' up. Another day's lesson was the striking of the rock that brought forth water. Thanks to a 2 liter jug, propped up on the rock there in the desert, with the clear wide blue sky above, and the gentle breeze which brought sand to our eyes, the story came alive. We were ever so thankful for the water, and filled our 'paper' cups quickly to quench our thirst. We discussed the hardships of finding water, and food in the desert for their families.

They knew all too well. Theirs was the life of the desert, for generations. They could easily pretend to feed their dolls. They delighted in learning about how God supplied quail and manna. There in the desert, yet also on school grounds out on the cross-country running track, we relived the story of Moses. From that day on, I never was the same. I could easily relate to the hardships of the Hebrew people many many years before. There on the high desert country, I had my own wilderness experience. I met God in a new way.

Even today, though I no longer live in the desert, I am once again facing a difficult time. I remember how God brought the Hebrew people out of bondage, and I continue telling the story of their deliverance. I have told it to other children in Sunday school classes, and even my own son. God is a God of deliverance. And it seems I have another bunch of 'children' to tell this story to. The members of this church where my husband pastors needs to hear and live the story of God's deliverance. They too are under bondage from Satan in many forms. Who will tell these children? Here I am Lord, send me.