God Gives Life

I have this little Maple tree growing in my yard.  The seed it started from flew across the neighbor's yard and landed in this pot many months ago. This is the first time the leaves on it have changed color.  I thought I'd find a little poem about a maple tree to include with this photo but instead I found a website called 101 Object Lessons For Kids.  The author is Patricia A. Meinerts and I think the object lessons are wonderful.  They're geared toward 4 and 5 year olds....so you know I'll make good use of them! 

On the website Patricia has a tab called "About This Project".

It's a good read. It begins with:

"Many people feel uncomfortable talking about God. Some wonder if He exists. The Bible has no such doubts. It starts out in Genesis with the words, “In the beginning, God created….” At the end of that chapter, it says, “God saw all that He had made and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31. God is very able, all-powerful and knowledgeable, and full of love for what He made, including all of us.

One of my purposes in teaching children has been to try to help them see and appreciate this great wonder-working God."

The link that led me to this website is her object lesson on Maple Tree Seedpods. 

I've included most of it below.

Maple Tree Seedpods

By Patricia A. Meinerts

Also Called Samaras, Winged Fruit or “Helicopters”

Aim: To help the children: to know that God loves life and gives it generously in many interesting ways; to appreciate Him; and to trust Him.

Verse Illustrated: Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.”

Presentation: Show maple seeds (samaras) and demonstrate how they fly like helicopters and can stick on noses when they are fresh. Discuss God’s abundance and our response to it.

Interest Getter: What is this? (Drop a “helicopter”. Let the children see how it spins around.)

Lesson: This is the seed of a maple tree and is often called a helicopter because of how it flies. It’s real name is ‘samara’. Can you say that? Samara. Why do you think it flies like this? God made things that fly long before man made airplanes! But why did he make this one? What is this? Yes! This is a seed. It is alive! (Open seedpod and show children the seed) Give it a little water and it is sure to grow. God loves life and He wants these maple trees to keep growing, somewhere. These little samaras can float and go all kinds of places and plant new trees. If you plant a stone, will it grow? NO! God put life into seeds. He loves His creation and used seeds to keep it going. Do you know how many of these seed pods one tree has? 10? 100? So many! We cannot count them. God gives life and He gives it abundantly. He is generous.

He also puts little extra surprises in His creation. If the samaras are fresh and you open the thicker seedpod part, they are sticky inside and will stick on your nose. (Demonstrate). Samaras are fun playthings!

Application: God gives and gives generously. He made this world and wants it to continue. As you go around this week, see if you can see any seeds on other trees. They are there, but they are all so different you may not recognize them. Look carefully and you will see more of God’s wonderful surprising gifts of life! Tell us about them next week.

Conclusion: Who would have thought that a great big maple tree would come from a little flying helicopter! And that one tree would make enough seeds to plant thousands more trees! Not me! Only God is so clever and great that He can do that. And you know, He gives life to us, too. Life now, and wonderful life with Him in heaven forever, after we die, when we trust him as Lord and Savior!  He is truly the great generous creator God! Let’s thank Him for His goodness and for life.

The Lord's timing is always perfect. 

Maybe a certain 93 year old would like to hear some of these object lessons?