There are times when the responses children give to the questions asked of them are so unexpected that the whole story gets derailed and it's a struggle to get back on track so that at least the point of the story can be made. Today was one of those times. Here is what should have happened.
An Invitation
Have you ever received an invitation to a party? Have you ever been invited to a party where the invitation gives you permission to invite your friends, too? If you received an invitation like that, would you keep it to yourself? [The expected answer is that, no, they would of course go and invite their friends.] When you have good news, it's hard to keep it to yourself.
Let's suppose that your mom and dad have to go away for an extended time to a foreign country, perhaps several months or a couple of years. Maybe it's for their work and they can't bring you along. You spend this time with perhaps your grandparents, or with an aunt and uncle. After some time has passed, they let you know that they're coming back to take you with them to live in this other country.
Would you want to go live with them? [The expected response is, "Yes." However, this is where the story derailed today...] But what if, during the time your mom and dad were away, you were told that your mom and dad really were harsh and mean, that they didn't really want you, and that they were only coming back to take you with them so that they could put you to work? Would you still want to go with them?
Let's imagine that instead, you had gone with your mom and dad, but for whatever reason, several of your brothers and sisters had to be left behind until things were ready to bring them along, too. And it was your brothers and sisters that had been told that your mom and dad were harsh and mean. When you and your mom and dad came to bring your brothers and sisters back to their new home, they say they don't want to come because they don't like mom and dad. Would you do or say anything to them?
What is God like? [Responses may vary, but hopefully most of them are something along the lines of: God loves us, He's a friend, He talks with us, etc.]
God has sent an invitation to everyone that He is building a home for everyone and that He is coming soon to take us all back. But there are many people today who think that God is harsh and mean, waiting to catch someone doing wrong so that He can punish them. And they don't want to be with a God like that. If you know that God is not like that, would you want to tell them that God isn't like that? What can you do to help them see what God is really like?
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