Childrens Church

We are all home from church-- well all except Keith and Michael--they are in the woods somewhere.
Paw Paw is watching/listening to the Saints-Arizona game.
I built a fire and I am debating if I am going to go fix myself a cup of something hot.
Maybe I'll wait.
I wanted to tell you a story. Actually it is the story that I did for children's church today.
It has been a long time since I have done children's church. But someone needed a break and I was glad to step in. I love looking down into the little faces that are looking up at me as they sit on the floor at the front of the church.
How about I share it with you?
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We live close to a very long bridge that goes from our side of the lake into New Orleans-it is called The Causeway. It is about 26 miles straight across water-mo land. A rather long trip with no bathroom or gas available. Can you imagine what it would take have to go across in a boat? All those people who go across the bridge to get to work would have to get up even earlier.
Bridges are a good thing, they keep us connected.
I want to share with you a story about a man who made connections.
Long ago there was a man who was getting old and he knew his time was getting short before his death. He had a very large farm and was so glad that he had two sons to work the cattle and crops. They got along good and worked well together. It made the man very proud of them.
He decided to go ahead and split the farm between the two boys. Separating the property would be easy because there was a river that ran right down the middle. Both would have their own property and use of the river.
Time passed and the boys grew, married and had children. One day the brothers got into a fight.I am not sure what the fight was-but I do know that they stopped talking to each other.
For years they never talked. It was sad for the family.
One day when one of the brothers was getting ready to leave the house there was a knock on his door. Answering the door he found a stranger standing there.
May I help you?
I am a carpenter and I was wondering if you had some work for me to do.
Well, I am getting ready to leave for the day but as a matter of fact-I do. Down by the river I need a fence built to hide my brother from my view. Build it tall and long and I will be satisfied.

The man left for the day well satisfied with himself. Later that evening he returned. He noticed that the carpenter was packing up his truck so he went down to check out the job. When he got near the river he stopped short. He could not believe it! The carpenter had finished the job but he had not done what the man had asked for.
Instead of the tall fence, in its place stood a bridge. And now standing on the other side of that bridge was the brother he did not want to see.
Before he knew what was happening the mans brother came running across the bridge with his arms outstretched. There were tears running down his cheeks as he thanked his brother for taking such a huge step to welcome him back.
"I can't believe that after all the ugly things I have done you still had this bridge built to welcome me back. I love you and I am so sorry."
Unwilling to say what was really going on -the brother returned to the house to pay the carpenter for a job well done. He asked if the carpenter would stay to help with other jobs.
The carpenter said he was sorry but he would be unable to stay because he had more bridges to build.

There are many times when our brothers and sisters aggravate us. Times when they hurt us and we so want to hurt them back. Sometimes we don't do anything because we are enjoying being mad. But the longer we are mad the less our feelings for this person become. We may begin to feel like we don't like them or even love them.
But God loves us too much to let us continue this way--so, in our sin He will let us get miserable.

God gave us a bridge to use when we find that we have built a fence between us and someone else. In the scripture he tells us how to avoid building the fence in the first place. He tells us that if a brother offends us we need to go to them. That can be a hard thing to do because sometimes we just want to be mad. Or maybe we think we can just forget about it.
That does not happen often. So God says we are to go to the person and tell them that they have hurt us or made us mad.
If your sister made you mad, instead of running to tattle or gossip--go to her. If she won't let you get it right then go to your Mom or Dad. The Bible then says that you can get Mom and Dad involved. But hopefully you won't have to. It will save them a lot if you will try Gods way to work it our on your own. But if you do need help and Mom and Dad can not get it worked out--our pastor can help.
God set this up in the Bible. It is to be our bridge. Without this bridge--we will probably build fences.
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Hope you enjoyed a little bit of my day. It was good to be doing children's church again.
This is a message that is very close to my heart. Satan wants to destroy our unilty as brothers and sister in Christ. If we allow him to win--then Gods will, will not be done.
Jesus prayed that we would be one.
And He also prayed that Gods will would be done here as it was already being done in heaven.
I hope you are having a great day. And that you enjoyed being together with your brothers and sisters in Christ today.