Experiencing God with a Toddler

Have you ever experienced God?

I mean, have you ever been through something or looked at a particular person and 

KNOWN it was God right there?

I am the Kinder-5th Grade Children's Director at my church.

If you told me that I would be used by the Lord to teach kids about His love 10 years ago, I would have laughed in your face!  I wasn't even a believer then, and I didn't grow up in church. 

 How could God place me over children and teach them about Him?

But God placed me in Children's Ministry in the fall of  2011.  It is not something I sought nor thought I would ever do; it was at a time in my life where my husband and I were suffering through a year and a half of infertility with no end in sight.  But God placed me in the ministry to make Himself boldly known to me among other reasons only He knows.  There's no other way to explain the kind of person I am today than to start off by saying, "But God..."

I found out I was pregnant November 14, 2013, after 39 months (3 years 3 months)...exactly 1,200 days of praying and clutching at the Lord and His Word.  The moment I saw that pink plus sign appear, I fell to my knees, repentant of my unbelief, and telling the Lord that this child is not mine but His.  And she is.  Sweet Pea is completely His.  

In the words of Hannah from 1 Samuel 1:27-28

 "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 

28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

When I heard that Mother Goose Time had an Experience God pack for preschoolers, I could not wait to use it to teach Sweet Pea!  We received our first one this month: God Cares about My Worries.

Pretty perfect, huh?

That's a God thing ;)

It came with all of this!

There's a Teacher Guide with 20 different activities, 4 different Story Card Posters with the passage written on the back, and a poster with the Monthly Scripture Verse.

In the Child Craft and Family Activity Pack, you get everything below! 

Coloring sheets, activities to discuss and tell the story (This one is where Jesus walks on water), and materials for making 4 different craft projects.  You should really check it all out here.

But you know what the best part is?

Watching your child getting to know who God is.

"Sweet Pea, which person is Jesus?  Can you point to Jesus?"

"Right here."

I didn't even have to tell her.  She just knew.  We do read the Bible (Read And Learn Bible) to her and talk about Jesus all the time to her, but to see her unhesitatingly point to Him, 

my heart fills with peace and amazement. 

After telling her the story of Jesus walking on the water, we played a game that was suggested in the Teacher Guide.

Sweet Pea became Peter from Matthew 14:22-33 .  She stood on her boat (doormat) and followed a line across the water (floor) that would lead her to Jesus (cardboard cross).  She then would take hold of Jesus and walk with Him back to the boat.

She loved this game!  Daddy even got in on the action as she followed him to Jesus.  <3

She loved running down the lines (I had made 3) that went from the doormat.

It didn't take long for her turn this game into running around the house!  Look at that crazed hilarious face in that last pic! LOL!  So glad I captured that face.

Having fun Experiencing God...Experiencing the Living Word... Experiencing Jesus.

I'm so humbled that I get to see and experience moments like this with her. 

Be sure to keep up with our adventures Experiencing God here on the blog or on Facebook.

Here are some of the Bibles I use with kids whether my own or in Children's Church.