Take Turns

For many years, there
was a poster attached to the wall above the drinking fountain at
church. There was a row of penguins lined up at the
edge of a cliff and one by one they were jumping into the icy cold water.
That poster served as a
reminder to everyone at the drinking fountain to take turns. Don't push ahead to the front of the line. Don't swarm the
drinking fountain in a pack. I'd often point at the poster as a reminder
to the children and say, "Look, the penguins are all waiting their turn
and we should wait our turn also. Be patient, your turn is coming."
Another drinking
fountain rule I establish was counting to 10 while children were getting
their drinks. I had to enforce this rule because we all know that
preschoolers are part camel. As soon as it was a child's turn at the
water fountain, they stepped up and embraced the "possession is
9/10's of law" rule.
Once a child placed their hands against the cool, stainless steel of the drinking fountain, they were not willingly going to surrender that place of power. When I had a child that refused to stop drinking or step away, I would gently tap them on the shoulder to remind them that their turn was over. It's time for someone else to step up.
Once a child placed their hands against the cool, stainless steel of the drinking fountain, they were not willingly going to surrender that place of power. When I had a child that refused to stop drinking or step away, I would gently tap them on the shoulder to remind them that their turn was over. It's time for someone else to step up.
This drinking fountain story has a spiritual comparisons that relates to taking turns.
In the church today, music has caused many conversations and stirred up generational differences due to song selection and music style. I
wish I could say that I have never been one of the complainers, but I have.
I've complained about the repeating of a phase over and over...and over
again, the loudness of the drums and the hard to follow song melodies. I
wonder why my favorite songs--the ones I know all the words to--aren't sung
anymore.
Maybe you too have harbored some of these same issues.
Maybe you too have harbored some of these same issues.
I was in a church
service a few months ago and another new song was thrust upon me as I struggled
to find the right notes to sing. The music would go up when I thought it
should go down and I tried to make sense of the mismatched words while I
sang.
Then my focus moved from
the words on the screen to the group of young people on the platform. They
stood with their eyes pinched tight, hands lifted high and I swear I felt a tap
on my shoulder. A gentle reminder that I needed to take turns.
This is what Isaiah 43:18-21(GW) says
about taking turns.
Forget what happened in the past,
and do not dwell on events from long ago.
I am going to do something new.
It is already happening.
Don’t you recognize it?
I will clear a way in the desert.
I will make rivers on dry land…
I have formed these people for myself.
They will praise me.
Maybe you, along with me, have been
holding tightly to the drinking fountain while God has been gently tapping us on
the shoulder. If you listen closely, maybe your
heart will also clearly hear His voice say, "Take Turns."
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