After moving from South Texas to South Florida in 1989, we began to behave like the Israelites after they left Egypt and began to crave the foods that are peculiar to back home. (Forgive me fellow Texans. In no way is Texas like Egypt. It is just a biblical example to make me look studious.) We longed for GOOD Tex-Mex, Dr. Pepper in every restaurant, and real Texas BBQ.
Not long after moving to Florida, we were blessed with a smoker (the kind that is used to smoke meat … don’t go and try to ruin my testimony). Soon, we were smoking brisket and once again enjoying hickory or mesquite smoked meat that was so juicy and tender that you could literally cut it with a fork. For parties, we would smoke 40 to 50 pounds of brisket. For days after the party, we would enjoy the leftovers (the meat that I hid so that there would be leftovers).
One thing that I noticed after a few days of eating the Texas delicacy … as good as it was, it somehow or another lost its specialness. After the third day, I just didn’t enjoy what was once a feast. After several days of consistently eating brisket, I’d gladly take a bowl of soup over a brisket sandwich.
Here’s the thought for this week’s blog. In ministering to children, I am ministering to a triune being, spirit, soul, and body and variety is the key to being successful in this ministry. If each and every service is a glory hallelujah service, after a while the specialness will dissipate. If however, after several weeks of teaching and touching a child’s spirit I change the focus of ministry and touch his soul and body through a memory-making Super Sloppy Double Dare Sunday or a Wild and Wacky, Don’t Be Tacky Sunday or a Deal or No Deal Sunday, soon the child will once again appreciate go-after-God ministry.
Let’s not over “brisketize” our boys and girls. Sure, we need to put out the meat and potatoes. But occasionally and often, let’s give the children some variety. Variety is truly the spice of life. Let’s not forsake the movement of the Holy Spirit but from time-to-time let’s touch the other two parts of the triune being by bringing out the games and videos, throw a whipped cream pie, make a human pizza by rolling a child around in pizza sauce and sprinkling on the cheese and pepperonis.
Remember, if you fail to impact the whole child (spirit, soul, and body), you will fail to impact the child as a whole and will lose them!
