At some point every kid says, "That's not fair!" To which, many parents will respond, "Life's not fair!" It's true, life doesn't seem fair sometimes. God is concerned with how we respond when life hands us disappointments.
When friends don't treat us well, it's natural to want to treat them badly too, but God says if we are Christians, He can help us treat people with care, even when they don't treat us well.
Connecting Points
Take turns answering the following questions with your kids this week. Create meaningful conversation. Adjust as needed. Use one or two of these to begin a conversation. Look for teachable moments - at home, in the car, wherever. Pray and ask God to provide you opportunities to have spiritual conversations with your kids.
- What does being treated unfairly feel like?
- Have you ever been treated unfairly? What happened?
- How can we respond to someone that has hurt us?
- How does sharing show someone we care about them?
- How can we show care to others this week?
Caring and sharing are common themes in Madagascar too!
A well-known Malagasy proverb is "Even one grasshopper is to be shared." Most Malagasies are quite poor, but no matter how little they have, they share with others. People share a lot of time together too, just visiting. When friends come by, Mother sets out mats to sit on and serves tea and some small snacks.
Whenever a cousin or neighbor needs something, the family does their best to help. Staying close to family and friends is more important to them than money and things . As another proverb says, "Better to lose money than to lose a relationship."
American Assembly of God missionaries came to Madagascar in 1990. They preached and began new churches. Today, nine US AG missionaries work in Madagascar. They teach in the Bible school programs and have helped get a study Bible translated into Malagasy. BGMC helps the Bible school by providing schoolbooks, library books, and other supplies the school needs.
The AG also runs an orphanage for children, elementary schools, and a clinic! BGMC has been a big help in providing supplies for the orphanages in Madagascar. BGMC has also provided funding to help put in a cistern for clean water.
Snack: Fruit!
Malagasy kids eat very simply, and they enjoy a lot of fruit. The most popular fruits are mangos, bananas, pineapple, and oranges.
Next time you eat fruit, remember to pray for the Malagasy!
Let's Pray....
- for our missionaries in Madagascar, that God will keep them safe and healthy.
- for the pastors and churches. Many are very poor, but they don’t give up. Pray that God will protect and bless them.
- for the kids, that they will learn to love Jesus and to follow the Bible and not false beliefs.
- for the kids in the Madagascar Orphanage and for those who need a home.
- for the Bible schools and training programs.
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