Lucky for me, but unfortunately for you, yesterday was pretty subdued. Actually, it was probably the easiest Sunday of teaching I've had in the past two years. I only had to lead games and since the weather was nice, I got to take them outside. Venturing outside means I have to keep an extra eye out for some of ones who like to wander, but it also gives us a lot more freedom.
This week, the game was pretty simple and straightforward - they basically threw objects at a target and then we chatted for a few minutes about how Jesus is our target and that we are aiming to be more like him. Usually I do a little bit better job of using the game to bring home the point of that week's message, but this week it just seemed like kind of a stretch. Plus, how on earth do you explain to a four-year-old what it means for Jesus to be our target?
With my 4, 5, and 6 year olds, we had some extra time because the teaching part of the game quickly went south. After about five minutes I gave up and just suggested we play baseball with a big barrel, plastic bat and rubber ball we happened to have laying around. I pitched underhanded to one of the kids while the others stood way too deep in the outfield waiting on a ball that would never in a million years get hit that far.
As the first kid got up to bat, I realized that even if these kids played baseball, at this particular age they would still be in the t-ball phase, meaning that hitting a moving target could end in a game of catch for me and the batter as he/she chased after all of his/her strikes. I took this as my golden opportunity to make sure the kids went home actually having learned something form me - if they weren't going to learn about Jesus being the target then at least they were going to learn a little about a good batting stance.
When each kid got up to bat I took two or three minutes to make sure their hands were together on the grip, their feet were apart and in the right direction, and their hands were choked up just the right amount. Just before every pitch I would say, "Keep your eye on the ball. That's all you have to do. Keep your eye on the ball." By the time the second kid got up to bat, I couldn't help but to laugh at the whole situation. Considering the on-base percentage of our church's softball team last season, I'm not sure anyone at our church should be offering these kids batting tips.
Still, I was shocked when every single kid got a hit within the first three pitches. One of the kids cracked me up. He took his first swing and got nothing but air. As the ball went past him he looked up at me and said, "I took my eye off the ball." I just laughed and told him it was ok. He hit the next one.
Nothing too exciting this week. Serving in the kid's ministry may not be my absolute favorite, and most of the time I think there is no way these kids are learning anything of spiritual significance from me, but at least we might have a good softball team in 10-15 years.
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