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September/October 2008 Featured Stories
Nurturing Spirituality in Children

by Peggy Joy Jenkins

For every physical law, there is a parallel law in mind and spirit. Teaching children to work with the spiritual laws, as well as the physical ones, will bring them gifts of peace, confidence and joy, which will enable them to weather the storms of life.

Here's a simple lesson to use the concrete to support the abstract.

Listening for Guidance

Materials

A large bowl of water and a wooden spoon (or any large spoon). Optional: a picture of a scene reflected in water. Or, if possible, take the children to a lake or pond.

Lesson

Begin by discussing how it is possible to look into a quiet pool and see the reflection of a tree growing on its bank. But if the water is rough or churning, we lose the image. Encourage the children to remember such a scene as you discuss the lesson.

Pretend that the bowl is the pool and the spoon (held vertically) is the tree. As you swish the water with your fingers, explain that if the wind were blowing the water or if the children were splashing in it, we would be unable to see the tree's reflection. Explain at their level of understanding: "We each have a guidance factor within us. Some call it the inner teacher. It tries to speak to us and give us direction, but it can be heard only if our minds are calm and still like a very quiet pool. The beauty of the tree is not seen in churning water, and the guidance factor is not heard by a churning mind. An overly busy mind focuses on problems. But when the mind is made very quiet, these problems are usually answered. A quiet mind can see beyond confusion to a solution."

Suggest that the children frequently practice stilling their minds so they can listen to that still, small voice of spirit. You could suggest meditation techniques, such as holding a word like peace of love in their minds, staring at an object or making a steady humming sound. There are many, many more.

Role-playing could enhance your teaching. One child might whisper a message, such as "Call home right away" while another child busy with noisy thoughts (churning the water) is not able to hear it.

Suggested Affirmation

I still my mind and listen within for guidance.

Peggy Joy Jenkins, Ph.D., author of Nurturing Spirituality in Children, is the founder and president of Joyful Child, Inc., a nonprofit organization serving parents and teachers. Visit www.joy4u.org. Excerpted with permission by Beyond Words Publishing at www.beyondword.com.