Perfect attendance meant that . . .

21Aug
Happy are those who act with justice and always do what is right!
- Psalm 106:3

When I was a little girl, the Episcopal Church to which my family belonged had a fire. So, my family moved to the Methodist Church.  The Methodist Church awarded pins for Sunday School attendance, and I had 7 years of perfect attendance!  My daughters giggle every time they see my pin. 

Perfect attendance meant that when we visited my grandparents in Kentucky, I attended Sunday School at their church and got a note from the teacher. One particular Sunday in Kentucky, we were studying the Ten Commandments.  The teacher explained that the Ten Commandments were a gift from God, not something He holds over us to punish us. She said that these Commandments, if followed, would ensure that we live a happy life. She then went on to explain that we must look at the Commandments broadly.  I will never forget the example she gave.  She said, “For instance, the Eighth Commandment says, ‘Thou shalt not steal.’  Of course, this means we should not take candy from the store without paying for it.  It also means we should not steal someone else’s glory.  If your classmate wins a blue ribbon for her drawing, you should congratulate her with an open heart. You should not talk about the spelling bee you won last week.”  

This lesson has stuck with me perhaps more than any other Sunday School lesson I ever heard.  If, for instance, I take the Commandment, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” literally, it doesn’t apply to me.  If I assume it means I shouldn’t covet my neighbor’s husband, then it does apply to me.  As I have learned to expand its meaning, I know that when I am envious of something someone else has, it leads to misery. Perhaps there really is a roadmap for life, and we find it when we look closely at the Ten Commandments. 

Musical Reflection: Teach Your Children Well - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Loving God, please help me to know that you want my joy and happiness. Help me to know that when I follow the guidance you have given me, I am much more likely to be happy than when I don’t. Then, help me to follow Your guidance with an open heart. Amen.
PsalmsSpiritual Practice
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#tencommandments #sundayschool

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