KEY SB#15: "Return to the Little, White Church"

"Grandma!  I want to go back to the little, old, white church in the woods.  Can we, please?" Big C, my  seven-year-old grandson, asks with an expectant smile on his face.

"Me, too!" exclaims his two-year-old brother, Little c.  "Me pway organ!"
"I think that's a great way to end our fabulous summer adventure together in the Land of Abundant Life!"  I respond with enthusiasm.  "Soon I'll have to bring you back home to Mommy and Daddy and then you will start school again, Big C."
(NOTE:  If you want to read about our previous adventures this summer, please see the archives on the right side of my blog.)
We climb back into my little, lavender vehicle and start up the long, gravel one-car road that has grass growing through the middle of it.  This time, Little c spots the church first.  "There it is, Gamma!  I see it!"  He claps his tiny hands with glee.
"And there is the graveyard that our great-grandma used to study her Bible with her friends," points out Big C as we drive by it slowly on our way to the church.

When the car stops, both boys race me to the church and fling open the heavy double doorway.
Inside, we are once again struck quiet with wonder and awe of the respectful dignity of the chapel.  That is, until Little c spots the ancient organ and runs to climb on the stool.

Little c begins to play a tune that sounds vaguely familiar to me.
"I like the altar," Big C shares important knowledge, "That is where the pastor tells the people about what's in God's Word, the Bible."

'That is very true, Big C," I affirm him.  "The best thing about church is learning about God and getting to know Him better."
Intrigued, I start to hum along with the melody Little is playing.
"OH," my face lights up, "now I remember that song.  It's called 'The Little Brown Church in the Wildwood.'  I sang that song many times when I was a child in country school.  The words starts to flow from my mouth as my grandsons join in:
'There's a church in the valley by the wildwood;
No lovelier church in the dale.
No place is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale."
"That's a nice song, Grandma, but this church is white," points out Big C.
"I know, but this church is also in a woods, and it is small and very special to my heart.  My own church was special to me, too, as a child, because that is one place that I learned about God.  I am so glad that you go to church with your Mommy and Daddy to hear God's Word.  Let's sing it again as the 'little, white church by the wildwood."
At the finish of the chorus, I have a suggestion to make.  "Now that we have seen the church, there is one more secret place that I want to take you.  We are going to go deep into the woods behind the church so I can show you something interesting.  
"Hold Grandma's hand, Little c, and let's all go look for the hidden path in between the trees. . . "

PLEASE JOIN ME NEXT WEEK AS WE FINISH OUR SUMMER ADVENTURE WITH AN EXPLORATION OF THE WOODS SURROUNDING THE LITTLE, WHITE CHURCH!

KEY #SB1: "DO YOU DARE?"

"I dare you to jump off the rock!"  Seven-year-old Big C shouts at his little brother, stretching out his arms to catch Little c safely when he jumps.
The two-year-old had climbed onto a large stone, though merely a couple of feet high, in the park where we had stopped for a snack and story on our summer trip through the Land of Abundant Living.
Without hesitation, Little c jumps and both boys roll over in the grass with the impact of the fall.  Neither is hurt and they stand up, laughing as they brush themselves off.
I laugh, too, and praise Big C for his good catch.
"Come here, boys," I beckon to them.  They come and settled themselves next to their proud Grandma, one on each side.  I snuggle them and suggest, "Let's sing the chorus of the Daniel song again."
Three voices sing the catchy tune in unison:
      "Dare to be a Daniel;
        Dare to stand a-looone.
        Dare to have a purpose
        A-and dare to make it known."
"What does it mean to 'take a dare?" I asked.
"Jump!"  said Little c.
I laughed.  "This time it did," I replied.  "What do you think, Big C?"
He squishes his eyebrows together and gives the question some thought.  "Well, when somebody dares you to do something, it means you have to have courage and take a chance."
"Is it always wise to take a dare?"
He shakes his head.  "Sometimes it's dangerous.  I know you mustn't take a chance to do dangerous stuff.  But then," he hesitates and looks up at me.  "you might look like a coward."
"That's a risk, too, isn't it?" I ask him.  "Looking like a coward?"
He nods.
"So you have to weigh the risks and see which risk is better to take, right?"
"Yes, Grandma."
"It may be better to look like a coward than to do something foolish and hurt yourself or someone else?"
Both boys nod.
"Me careful," Little c solemnly shakes his head .  "Me no want to hurt me."
"That's good, Little c.  So why do you think Daniel was willing to disobey the king's command and go into the lion's den?" I asked.
Big C answered right away, "Because he knew God had more power than the king!"
"That's right, and he also knew that even if he died, he'd go to be with God forever, but if he turned away from God he would go to hell forever.  So he made the right decision."
"Daniel stood alone, just like the song says!"Big C noted.
"Yes.  Do you boys have the courage to stand alone if your friends want you to do something with them that you know it wrong?" I asked.
"I hope so," Big C says dubiously.  "If I am strong enough."
"How can do you get strong enough?"
His face brightens.  "I can ask God to help me.  He has the power."
"God help me be stwong," exclaimed Little c.  "I open da twunk!"  (NOTE TO READER: YOU CAN REFER TO ARCHIVES ON THE RIGHT TO READ ABOUT THE TRUNK!)
"That is so true!  And God is happy to give us the courage when we want to obey Him.
"What do you think the song means by "Dare to have a purpose and dare to make it known?"
Silence for thinking time.
"A purpose. . . " Big C turned this question over in his mind. . . " is something important I need to do.  Right, Grandma?"
"It can be," I nod.  "It can also be a motivation, a reason we have to work for a good cause or help
somebody."
"What is your purpose, Grandma?"
"I have many, Big C.  I want to be a good grandma.  I work for an organization that helps save babies' lives.  I write and travel to tell people about Jesus."
"I tell my friends about God," said Big C.
"That is a very good purpose!" I acknowledged.  "And like the song says, sometimes it takes courage to make our purpose known.  Because some people may disagree with us and even make fun of us for carrying out our purpose.  But if we keep our purpose a secret, then we can't carry it out!  We always need to consider the "dare" and decide whether it is more important to do what is right and obey God or let other people tell us what to do and loose our self-respect."  
"Me dare do good!" Little c beams at me.
"Oh, my precious grand-boys!"  I hugged them close and prayed silently, "Father God, help them always to have the courage to do what is right, whatever it takes!"  I thought a moment and added, "And me, too Father.  Give me the courage to stand alone for the purposes You give me."

*ONE MORE SUMER ADVENTURE WITH THE BOYS AND THEN WE'LL DISCOVER SOME ROADBLOCKS IN THE LAND OF ABUNDANT LIVING AND DISCUSS HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM!

KEY #SB13: THE VICTORIOUS ROCK

On the road again, with my grandsons and I belted in safely (even in the Land of Abundant Living, we need to follow safety rules),  Little c, the two-year-old, asks Grandma to play his CD.
"Certainly," I reply, pushing in the kids' favorite CD with Jesus Praise Songs.  After singing along to several melodies, we come to my favorite, "Dare to be a Daniel."  When the song ends, I turn the music off.
"Why are you stopping the music, Grandma?" asks seven-year-old Big C.
Little c goes on singing as though nothing had happened, "Dare to be a Daniel; Dare to stand a-looone . . . "
"I want to tell you a story."  Little c stops singing in mid-stanza at the thought.
"Here's a pretty little park.  Let's stop the car and have a snack with our story."
When we are settled on the ground with the bright sun shining on us and the soft breeze ruffling our hair, I pass out baggies of grapes and granola bars and begin.
"You both have heard the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den."  Two heads nod intently as they munch their juicy grapes.
"Well," I continue, "You know then that Daniel was a young man who had so much trust in God that he wouldn't give up his faith as the king commanded.  So the king threw him into the hungry lion's den,   but God closed the mouths of the lions and saved Daniel's life."  Two heads nodded again.
"Now when Daniel grew older, King Nebuchadnezzar asked him to describe a dream the king had and tell him what the dream meant.  Now Daniel, of course, couldn't do either one of those things by himself, but God told Daniel the dream and explained the meaning for him so he could share it with the king.
"This is the dream:  The king saw an enormous statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron and baked clay.  Then a Rock was cut out by God and struck the statue, breaking it to pieces and sweeping away the chaff with the wind.  Next, the Rock became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth."
"Wow!  That sounds scary!" said Big C.
"Wok dis big!"  Little c stretched out his chubby arms as far as he could reach.
"Well, it was even much bigger than that, Little c.  And it did worry the king so he had trouble sleeping.  So Daniel told the king the meaning of the dream, too.  Each of the metals represented a certain kingdom that would appear and rule at a future time."
"God know tomorrow?" Little c's eyes grew large.
"Yes, Sweetie, God knows everything about yesterday and tomorrow.  He is very smart."
"I think I know what the big Rock is!  Is it Jesus?" guessed Big C.
 "Excellent guess, Big C!  Yes, the Rock that broke the last kingdom and filled the whole earth is God's own kingdom with King Jesus Christ as the ruler.  You see, when the time for the other kingdoms to have power is over and Jesus comes back to earth, He will set up a new kingdom that will never be destroyed and will last forever!"
"I want to be in God's Kingdom!" said Big C.
"Me, too," Little c agreed.
"So when I hear this song about Daniel, I remember that story of the Rock."
"That's the same Rock we talked about at the lake," said Big C.
"Yes, it is.  Please sing the Daniel song with me again."
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK . . . .

KEY SB #12: Question: "What is a Rock?"

"Grandma, can we go to the lake where you grew up?" my seven-year-old grandson, Big C, asks.
"Yes!  Me swim!" his two-year-old brother, Little c, jumps up and down like a rubber ball at the exciting possibility.
Of course, I (Grandma) agrees.

*NOTE:  IF YOU ARE JUST JOINING US ON OUR SUMMER ROAD TRIP IN THE LAND OF ABUNDANT LIVING, YOU MAY READ OUR PREVIOUS ADVENTURES IN THE ARCHIVES ON THE RIGHT.

Two hours later, three contented people climb back into my little, lilac vehicle, damp and tired, but happy, and drive a ways down the lake road.
"Grandma, that was so much fun!" Big C exclaims, sporting a huge, satisfied grin.  "I stood on top of the inner tube for three seconds before I fell off!"
"Me wiked swashing!  I make wery big waves!"  This comment from Little c.  "Where we go now, Gamma?"
"Well, I thought I'd take you to my very special place.  When I was a teen-ager growing up on this lake, there were times I needed to get off by myself and do some serious thinking.
"When I felt like that, I walked to this quiet, beautiful spot. . . to my rock."
Near the end of the main road, I turn along a straight gravel drive where there is only room for one car.  At the end of the short path, I stop the car and we get out.  The boys run ahead of me toward the shore.  I take my time, relishing the fresh breeze, so welcome on a hot day, and the sight of foaming waves overlapping each other in their race to the sandy beach.  The scent of lake water mixed with motor boat gasoline stimulates fond memories of days gone by filled with lake fun.  The pleasant singing of birds and the drone of a quiet motor boat, carrying fishermen perhaps, serve as background sounds for the excited chatter of two enthusiastic boys.
Arriving at the water's edge, I find my grandsons already perched on "my" rock, a sturdy gray stone jutting out from grasses and reeds outlining the shore.  Nearby, a huge tree lends us comforting shade and shields us from prying eyes.
I sit myself contentedly on the sand at the feet of "my boys"and gaze up at them, trying to capture this moment with the camera of my mind, thanking God for their precious presence in my life.
"Me bigger dan you, Gamma!"  Little c shouts with glee.
Big C playfully rubs his brother's hair and straightens his back as tall and high as he can stretch.  "But I'm bigger than you both.
"What's the song for today's adventure, Grandma?"
"I'm thinking of a hymn that was my daddy's favorite song for many years, 'Rock of Ages.'
"Boys, how would you describe a rock to somebody?"
"Des-kibe?"  A puzzled look appears on Little c's face.
"Yes.  It means to tell somebody what a rock is like."
Big C ponders the question, his chin resting on one hand.  "I would say it's strong and can't break.  And you can build stuff on top of it."
"I sit on it," adds Little c.  "And it stays in one place."  He jumps off and braces his little body against the sturdy stone.  "See.  Not move."
"You can count on it to be there for you," Big C says.  "The water won't wash it away."
Little c crouches down behind the big rock and calls out, "I can hide behind it!  You can't see me!"
"Great descriptions, boys!"  I affirm them with a nod as Little c crawls out from behind the rock with a beaming smile.
"Have you ever heard Jesus described as our Rock?" I ask them.  One nods; the other shakes his head.    "In Psalm 19:14, He is called "my Rock and Redeemer."  And Psalm 18:2 says,  'The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."  Ps 18:2
You see, God is strong enough for us to build our lives on.  He is strong enough to hold us when we feel very weak.  He doesn't change; God is 'the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.'  He's always to be found whenever we look for Him.  We can hide from danger in Jesus our Rock.  He is our protector."
"I know a rock can protect us, Grandma," says Big C contributes solemnly.  "When we hide behind it, it is like a shield, an armor."
"That's true, Big C," I continue.
"But how is Jesus our horn?  Does He play a trumpet?"
"The words, 'horn of our salvation' refer to the fact that Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay for our sin.  Hundreds of years ago, God's people, the Israelites, sacrificed an animal to pay for their sins by tying it to the horns of the altar.  We don't need to give animals for sacrifices any more because Jesus paid for the sins of all those who believe in Him once and for all time."
Little c lets his head drop and his shoulders sag.
I put my arm around him.  "What's wrong, Little c?"
"Me wik my wok.  I need it."
"Well, I kind of miss my rock, too, since I don't live here at the lake anymore.   This rock used to give me a private place to think through my feelings and fears.  But now I can go to my Rock, my Jesus, who is always there for me."  I tap my hand on my heart.  "Here, my Jesus lives in my heart so I go to Him any time I want.  Because I asked Him to take away my sins, the bad things I think and do, He's always with me.   He holds me securely when life's currents try to wash me away."
Little c puts his hand on his heart.  "My Jesus," he states solemnly.  "Jesus wuvs me."

As we sit in silence, a simple melody emerges faintly from the water and grows louder until it surrounds and immerses us with a beautiful tune, just as the encroaching waves immerse the sands of the lake shore.  I begin to hum the words of the old song and the boys join in.

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me;
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and pow'r.

There are three more meaningful verses in this hymn.  
Phrases include "nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling."  
It concludes with the phrase,
"When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne;
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee."

Jesus, my Rock, hide and protect me in your sheltered place.  Give me Your strength for each day as I face the heavy currents on life's shores.

KEY SB#11: CLOUDS & CREATION

"I think we need a break," I anounce, yawning and stretching my arms.  "It's such a beautiful day.  Let's go outside and get some sunshine and fresh air."
Both grandsons race me to the doorway of the little country church.  Once outside, two-year-old Little c  jumps and prances like a young calf just let loose from his stall.
"Tag!" he shouts.  "Me it!"
*NOTE FOR NEWCOMERS TO MY BLOG:  I am taking my grandsons for a tour in the Land of Abundant Life this summer.  We are now visiting an old country church that sits near my childhood home.  For more background, please check the archives on the right side.
His older brother,  Big C, laughs.  "You'll have a tough time catching me!"  He takes off like the stream from a water pistol.
"I get Gamma," Little c tags me and I turn around and chase Big C. After about fifteen minutes of constant motion, I collapse on a soft grassy spot on the lawn next to the peaceful church graveyard, panting heavily.
Big C throws his body down next to me and Little c does likewise.  The three of us stretch out on our backs, hands behind our heads for pillows.
"What do you see, Grandma?" Big C asks, "up there in the clouds?"
We gaze intently at the shapes of fluffy, white clouds drifting across a clear, blue sky.
"Me see a bear," Little c sits up and points with delight.  "Dere!"  He nods with satisfaction.  "Wike my teddy."
"Yes!" Big C agrees.  "Do you see him, Grandma?"
"I do.  The big cloud in the middle, right?"
"Yup!  And over there, on the right, do you see the monkey face?"
Little c squints.  "Donno."
"I think so," I respond dubiously.  "Do you know something?  I just thought of a song I learned when I was a teen-ager."  I began to sing:
"Cotton candy clouds so fluffy and white.
Who put them there in a sky of deep blue?
Or do you just happen to float along, 
Pretty and white in a sky so blue?
Mountain, deep valley, fast river, cool stream,
Show grandeur and majesty in some grand scheme.
All of these wonders that we behold, 
Are only a part, it cannot be told,
Master Designer, who ever you are, all of this beauty both near and afar
Can't just have happened; the odds are too great,
There must be a plan, we're not left to fate.
All of this beauty is far too convincing
Master Designer, your word must be true,
Of all your creations man is the dearest,
Help me to simply believe now in You."
"I know God made the clouds, Grandma," says Big C, jumping up, excitedly.  "God made everything!"  He reaches his arms out as far as he can and twirls around.  Little c jumps up and joins him in twirling.
"I see cotton candy clouds!" he shouts with glee.
They stop twirling and land beside me.  We sit together in silence for a moment until Big C thinks of a question.  "The Bible says God made the whole world in only six days.  But some scientists say that's not true.  What do you think, Grandma?"
"Well, Big C, if the Bible says it's true, it is, because God cannot lie.  Scientists are always discovering more facts that support the Bible."
"But one of my friends told me that a day in God's time isn't just 24 hours, like our days."
"Here, look at what it says in Genesis 1:3-5, the first book of the Bible."  I reach over for my Bible that we had laid previously on a gravestone when we had our picnic discussion.  "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.  And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.  And there was evening and there was morning, one day.'
"You see, boys, God made the first day to be the time when the sun shone between the darkness.  The time He set into place when He created the earth, based on the motion of the sun and moon in a 24-hour period, is the very same time schedule that we still use.  And He says that He created the earth and everything in it in six days and rested on the seventh day.
"In verses 16-18, God tells us He made the sun and moon to "govern the day and the night."  It is very important to remember that God is able to do anything He wants to do.  Nothing is too hard for Him and everything He tells us in His Word is true."
Big C nods in agreement.  "Yes, I see, Grandma.  I love God."
"I know you do, Sweetie."
"Me, too, Gamma!"
I put my arms around both of my precious grandsons and we squeeze into a group hug!