Thursday afternoons

On Thursday afternoons, I have the privilege of teaching kindergarten boys. Today was the last day of the semester. I have consistently had about 7 boys attend the ASK (after school kids) program and I love them all.  There are couple who are a bit more rambunctious then the others but that is what makes it fun, right?!  For the past two weeks, they've been more wired than ever, and I have barely been able to get through the main points of the Bible story.  I knew that today's lesson (God telling David that Solomon would build the temple) wouldn't hold their interest, so I chose to barely touch on it and then move onto review.  This semester, the lessons were all about David.  When I have asked in the past what they had learned, the usual answer is "about God".  True, but more details, please!  The next answer is usually Goliath, I know, surprise, surprise!   This pattern held true again today.   I felt like I was spinning my wheels with them and was getting a bit frustrated.......that was until we went to large group (singing, object lesson, and mini video skit) .  I don't usually get to sit with my boys in large group because by the time I arrive, large group has already started and they sit in the front.  I don't do the front.  By the way, the schedule got flipped today, usually we have large group first and small group afterward, but today it was vice versa.  I was so impressed with them, they sat still in large group!!!  They participated in song time by doing all the hand motions and they were really quiet when the "Willy" video skit came on.  I came to the conclusion that even if I don't get through the lesson, they are catching some of it in the large group time.  Next semester I will try a few different tactics to get them to sit still in small group. However, I may try to be the person they have fun with and not be one more teacher who makes them sit still......again.  I am going to miss my boys!
 
This is what I learned in the lesson today.  Part of the reading was 1 Chronicles 29:10-13:

¹⁰So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever.  ¹¹"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
 ¹²"Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.
 ¹³"Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

David was a great man of God.  He had been told that he was not going to be the one who built the temple for God.  Here he wanted to do something great for God, and he was shot down.  I would have been disappointed, but he wasn't.  Look at his response, he continued to give Him the glory, honor, and praise that the Lord deserves from all of us, no matter what the response that He gives us when we ask for things.  Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and other times, wait.  I hope I have David's response the next time God gives me a response that I don't really care for. :)