Let Your Light Shine

PHOTO CAPTION: Birthdays are a great time to let your light shine.



One book I love to read to young children this time of year is, 
“The Pumpkin Patch Parable” by Liz Curtis Higgs. It’s a beautiful, delightfully illustrated little book about a farmer who plants pumpkin seeds in his field. The pumpkin seeds grow and eventually the farmer carves a happy face in one of the pumpkins and places a light inside to shine out for his neighbors to enjoy. There are several verses included in the book and several Bible truths that the book brings out. It talks about how God created each one of us in a unique way, God forgives us and gives us a clean heart and how God’s love shines in our hearts so that we can shine and share His love with others. If you have a young child, I think you will delight in sharing this book with them. It would also be fun to get a pumpkin to carve together. Carve the pumpkin as you read the book, talking about the various steps the farmer goes through to make his happy pumpkin shine. I like to show kids the pumpkin seeds too and how the farmer first started by planting the seeds. Not only will the kids learn about God’s love, but they will also learn about the process of growing something. If you have pictures, you could show a picture of a pumpkin plant in various stages – seed, sprout, vine, flowering, tiny green pumpkin and full-grown pumpkin. 



Like the pumpkin that the farmer carved to shine, how can we let our lights shine? We can start by thanking God for who He made us to be. Each one of us was born with unique qualities, talents and abilities. We look unique and different and we have unique personalities. Couple our uniqueness with the experiences we have as we grow and learn and you have a wealth of ways that you can let your light shine. You can shine in ways that no one else can, because God created you in a wonderful, amazing way. Yes, we all make mistakes, we mess up and we go through hard things too. Still God is the master of turning all of these things into a beautiful masterpiece when we give Him all that we are. He can even redeem your tough life circumstances, your hurts and sad times.
Who knows maybe you can let your light shine by helping someone else through a hard time.



Like the pumpkin seed, let your roots grow down deep into the soil so that you can draw up the nourishment to help your grow. The soil is God’s Word. Spend some time in God’s Word and let Him speak to you in a fresh way. If you don’t understand what you are reading, that’s okay. Start somewhere, ask God to help you understand and read. There are many different versions of the Bible that you can read which can help you understand as well as books that others have written on various books or themes of the Bible. If I don’t understand something, I like to look at the ERV – Easy to Read Version of the Bible. It was written with the young reader in mind, but I think it can definitely resonate with adults as well. I also recommend the YouVersion Bible Ap that you can download on your phone. It’s a great way to have God’s Word with you everywhere you go and it only takes a moment to read the verse of the day on their home page. 

Of course our lights shine best when we allow God to clean out the junk in our hearts and fill us with His love. We all make mistakes. We all mess-up. We all have clutter our lives. Our greatest sin is selfishly wanting our own way instead of God’s way. It’s easy to say we want to live God’s way until something comes up that we don’t understand or where we think we know best. Thankfully God loves us through it all and gently guides and leads us so that our lights will shine brightly. 



Finally, God puts His love in our hearts so that we can share the light of His love with others. So shine! Remember that God made you to shine. He has given you everything you need to shine and He loved you enough to send His Son Jesus, to earth to die for you. Share His love and grace with others so that they too, can shine.


PARENT PRAYER: 

God,

Fill us with your love and grace so that we can shine and draw others to your love. Show me ways to shine everyday and everywhere I go. Let me be an example to my family of letting your light shine. When I spend time with you, I know that you will fill me with your love and when I remember how much you love me, I know it will be easier to love others. Remind me and remind my kids how amazing and wonderful you created us. You made us with talents and abilities that we can share with others. Help us to use those talents wisely and humbly. May we always treat others with grace and loving kindness. Thank you God, for your love and faithfulness to us. Amen 

PS I especially need your love and grace when I’m tired. That’s when it’s harder for me to show the light of your grace to others. Lord, I need your Holy Spirit strength to keep walking in grace especially when my energy 
level is down. Show me how I can grab snatches of rest and rejuvenation during a busy day.




MORE FALL FUN TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS
FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS
(Fingerplay)
Cut pumpkins out of orange paper and count them.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate, – (Show 5 fingers.)

The first one said, “My it’s getting late!“ – (Shake head gently.)

The second one said, “Brr! There’s frost in the air.” – 
(Shiver as though cold.)
The third one said, “I don’t care.” – (Hands on hips.)

The fourth one said, “Let’s run on home!“ – (Pretend to run.)

But the fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!“ – (Clap hands.)

Then whoosh went the wind, – (Sway in the wind.)

But they didn’t scream in fright, (Shake head.)

Cuz’ they knew God’s was with them, – (Point up.)

And their lights were shining bright, – (Hold up one finger for light.)

All through the cold, dark night.

VERSE SONG
(To the tune of: 
“This Little Light of Mine”)
God made His light shine,

In this heart of mine, 
(Repeat first 2 lines, 2 times.)

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
 (Hold up 1 finger like a candle.)



2nd Verse:

Let your little light shine,
 – (Hold up 1 finger like a candle.)
And praise God above,
 – (Raise arms in praise.)
Let your little light shine,

So others will know His love, 
- (Make heart with hands
Let your little light shine,

And praise God above.

Praise your Father in heaven above. – (Point upwards.)


KID’S SECTION:

STORY: Read “The Pumpkin Patch Parable” by Liz Curtis Higgs



EXPERIENCE FOR PARENTS & KIDS:

Take a trip to a pumpkin patch or farmer’s market where there are a variety of pumpkins available. 
SAY: God made pumpkins that are bumpy, smooth tall, short, very big and even different colors. God made you in a special way too. He made you just the way He wanted you to be and He loves you. When the farmer brings the pumpkin in from the field, it’s dirty. He cleans it off and gets all the yucky stuff out of it before he carves it. God forgives us when we sin/make mistakes. He gives us a clean heart so we can love Him. When Jesus gives us a clean heart, He also changes us. We can love because Jesus loves us. Today we are going to learn how we can shine and share God’s love.



WHEN CARVING YOUR PUMPKIN SAY: Let’s look and see what’s inside our pumpkin. (Pull out pumpkin.) Do you know where pumpkins come from? They come from a farm. God gives farmers seeds to plant (Show seeds.) and those seeds grow into all different kinds of pumpkins. No two pumpkins are alike. There are bumpy pumpkins and smooth pumpkins, orange and white pumpkins, big fat pumpkins and skinny pumpkins. (Show pictures or different pumpkins.) Let’s read a story about a farmer and his pumpkins. It’s about God’s love for us. God loves you, He made you, He chose you to be in His family and He can help you love too. He will clean the sin or bad stuff out of our hearts and put His light inside so that we can shine with the light of His love. Are you ready to listen and see what our book says?



MEMORIZE: Matthew 5:16 – (Hands open like reading a book.)

NIRV —- Let your light shine – (Hold up one finger.) 

So that others – (Fan hands out to the sides.)

Can see it – (Put hands by eyes.)

ERV—- And praise – (Wave arms up high.)

Your Father in heaven – (Point up.)



Please note, as indicated above, this verse was taken from two different versions – both for young readers.


KNOW: God made us to shine and share His love.


TALK ABOUT: God made me, God loves me, God is with me.


ASK: Who made you? Who loves you? Who is with you?


AND DO… I can shine and share God’s love with others.



FUN IDEA FOR THIS WEEK:


• Read ”The Pumpkin Patch Parable” by Liz Curtis Higgs. Take a trip to the library and   read some other fun pumpkin books too.
  
  PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you that you made me, you love me and you are with me. I want to love you and have your love shining in my heart so others will know that you love them too. Amen