I’m keeping it short and sweet today, as I share a childhood memory that I have carried around in my heart and shared with hundreds of other children over the years. When I was a little girl, I loved going to Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and Awana. I even remember one church we attended when I was quite young that had a children’s program called “Eager Beavers.” I loved them all! There would often be little prizes for Bible memory, bringing visitors, perfect attendance, etc. If my memory is correct, that’s how I received a little laminated pocket card containing the following poem and an attached little wooden cross. The Cross In My Pocket That poem really touched my heart as a child, and I saved it for many, many years. Eventually, I passed it on to someone else to enjoy, but I always remembered how special it was to me. I have been teaching RE (Bible classes in the public schools here in Australia) for more than 25 years. I often give out little stickers, pencils, bookmarks, posters, etc., to the students, but several years ago, I was reminded of “The Cross in My Pocket” poem and decided it would be a great addition to my trove of giveaways. I was surprised how easy it was to find some little wooden crosses available for purchase on eBay. I even found some made from olive wood from Jerusalem (or so the seller claimed), which I thought was extra special. I created a template with 8 copies of the poem per page, printed them out, laminated them, and cut them apart. (You can download my original black and white version here if you’d like to use it yourself.) With the help of AI, I knew I could probably create a much more visually appealing version these days, so if you want to be a little fancy, here’s the download link for the color option. It came out lovely.
Every year since, I have given out a few hundred of these crosses and poems to my students. They are the second most requested gift in my classes (the Bible being the first). “Mrs. Berg, when are we getting our Bibles?” and “When are we getting our crosses?” are frequently asked questions every year. While I know most of the children don’t carry the card or cross around as it is referenced in the poem, just the fact that we spend time talking about the poem and reminding ourselves of the importance of being God-conscious in our daily lives has an impact. It’s my prayer that this little token becomes a special treasure to some of them, as it once did for me. Have a great week!
You’re currently a free full subscriber to Simply Angie. If you’d like to offer heartfelt ministry support, you can upgrade to paid (Your voluntary contribution directly helps keep this newsletter free and accessible for everyone).
|
