Play Dough and Paper Dolls

I spent a lot of time yesterday cutting out paper dolls. No, I haven't lost my mind, or slipped into my second childhood. And they weren't just ordinary paper dolls—they were Civil War period replicas—appropriate considering that this week, Canada, the United States, and Venezuela, all celebrate their respective Independence Days.

This morning I mixed up a double batch of play dough.

All this in preparation for my Sunday School class this morning. It takes time and effort to get creative and make Sunday School interesting for kids. Sometimes I have to remind myself why I do it.

For one thing, I came to know the Lord through the faithful ministry of Sunday School teachers. Sunday School teachers are the unsung heroes in God's Kingdom. They plant seeds in the most fertile ground of all—the open and relatively uncomplicated minds and hearts of little children.

God planted in me the desire to serve Him when I was nine years old. I wonder why? Those Sunday School teachers exemplified missionary service—they went, even though it might not have been far, to minister to me.

So when I read this morning's verse, I pray that God will call out others who will give of themselves to reach the children.

"He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field'" —Luke 10:2 NIV.

Others might not notice Sunday School teachers, but the One who said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14 NIV) certainly does.

(And thank you to Joanne Sher at http://joannesher.blogspot.com/ for bestowing on me the Honest Scrap Award this morning. As isolated as I am from face to face contact with other writers, I am grateful for the cyberspace relationships with others who write. Some day we'll met—if not here, over there.)