My Candy is Gone and I Couldn't Be Happier

Last Sunday, I started the day with a bag full of candy. By one o'clock in the afternoon, it had all slipped through my fingers.I like candy. I'm eating raisins, chocolate chips, and marshmallows while writing this. So, you'd think I'd be pretty upset at my recent depletion of candy reserves. 

And You'd Be Wrong

 Towards the end of this past September, I went to my local Wal-Mart to purchase a large bag of assorted Skittles, gummy Lifesavers, and Starburst candies.See, I teach the second-grade Sunday School class at my church. We had begun a nine-week-long series on the Fruit of the Spirit. I wanted to motivate the kids to think about the lessons, answer questions, and most of all: learn the memory verse.So halfway through the series, I marched in and let the kids know that I'd give a piece of candy to anyone who could answer my questions about the lessons or say the Bible verse we'd been working on word perfect. 

The Change

One week as the parents were picking up their children, I felt a tugging on my jeans. I looked down to see Ethan practically climbing up my leg.You have to understand; this is normal for Ethan.This time was different, though. Instead of the repeated request to "Give me a piggy-back ride, Ryan!", Ethan said, "Can I say the verse for you, Ryan?"He wanted that candy really bad, and he was determined to get it no matter what. Unfortunately, he didn't have the verse perfect yet. 

The End

The kids had been trying really hard from the day I brought the candy in until the eighth week of the nine-week lesson. Only a few kids had the verse word perfect, and I believed that I'd be using that bag of candy for the next month's lesson.I arrived at church as I do every morning. What made this day unique was that my class was packed. I usually have a good handful of kids, but every single chair in the twenty-four-chair small group was occupied this week.As I launched into the lesson, I kept noticing kids raising their hands to ask a question. Nine times out of ten, their question was, "Can I say the memory verse?" I asked them to save saying the verse until after the lesson.I decided to make the lesson simple this week. For some reason, I had a feeling we wouldn't have time for a whole lesson. I found out why. 

Every Single Kid Said the Verse

I was blown away. Twenty-one kids said it word perfect, and three needed help and eventually got it or got really close. It took over ten minutes for everyone to say the verse (good thing we had the time). Every kid got candy, and there are few pieces that remain in my treat bag.There are few things that will separate me from candy. I'll eat an entire bag of M&Ms if nobody stops me. But by sacrificing the candy I bought and promising it to those kids, they were able to grow and learn.I think that's pretty sweet.