Life Lessons in the Most Unexpected Places

Recently, I've been preparing for "the talk" with Payton. Jim and I have decided to use Passport2Purity by familylife.com. I've been completely filled with anxiety about this moment in time.... Is it too soon? Am I too late? Has "society" already filled Payton's head with what is right and wrong concerning this sensitive topic? I've been praying for clarity, discernment....to know if this is the right time. In case you're interested....I'm still praying....I have yet to discern and have not received clarity. So, I wait...and I continue to read the packet information over and over. And, while I'm reading this packet....I'm uncovering several life lessons that apply to me as well. It's quite amazing how the teachings of this series can actually serve as a guideline for a pre-teen and a 37-year old! I'll share a few topics that have impacted me.

Passport2Purity uses several hands-on projects to teach some awesome life lessons. This first lesson that struck me is one where I provide Payton with a puzzle without the lid, without any guidelines or directions. Then I place a puzzle in front of myself WITH the lid so I can see how the puzzle is supposed to look. I set a timer for 10 minutes and tell Payton that we are to put our puzzles together until the buzzer sounds. As you may expect, I will be the one to prevail since I have the box top for my puzzle. I will see where the pieces are supposed to go. And, I will be able to place my pieces together in order to make the picture all come together. Payton will, most likely, become frustrated in trying to figure out how to make this puzzle fit together without the picture to guide her. This lesson is an illustration of how we need the directions, the guidelines in order to make something work. The puzzle box top is to represent the Bible. How are we supposed to know how life is supposed to work without the "directions"? Without the guideline that God intended to be our Manual to Life? The person without the puzzle box top (the Bible) will aimlessly try to make that puzzle (life) fit together and it will be a long, painful and frustrating process. Wow! Message delivered, lesson learned!

There is another message that really hit home with me. Payton and I will sit down at a table with one large pitcher of water. Next to the pitcher, I will have another small cup of water, a cup of coffee grounds and a cup of dirt. The large pitcher of water will represent Payton. I will ask her to pour the small cup of water into the pitcher....the small cup of water represents one of Payton's friends that is also a Follower of Jesus. The water remains clean and unchanged. Next, I will ask Payton to pour in the coffee grounds. The coffee grounds will represent a friend who is mean and bullying for example. I will explain to Payton how those coffee grounds will pollute the entire pitcher. The same thing happens with the cup of dirt which will represent another negative-influence-type of friend. Once poured into the pitcher, the dirt will muddy the entire pitcher. This is a very clear, very real picture of how bad friends do not just hurt one person, but they are capable of polluting the entire group. This lesson is one in the selection of friends. We need friends who are "good"....friends who are also Christ-followers. Unfortunately, in this world, the non-Christian seems to have much greater influence over the Christian. The non-Christian has this power over polluting the group because we are living in the non-Christian's world. For Payton, the timing of this message could not be better as we enter the world of "mean girls". For me, this is also quite a profound lesson.