God is Good!
Ten years ago, I would have never dreamed this traveling ministry would have me speaking to an audience of 400 people, little lone 400 students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. But it has happened!
For a long while now I have been sensing God wanting me to share His Story in a unique quilt with youth, and that He had intentions to send me to larger stages. Both came to fruition in one single day.
Novemeber 30, 2023 I was the guest chapel speaker for a Christian elementary school speaking to 400 students, plus faculty members and a few dozen parents.
Though His Story in a unique quilt never changes, tweaking presentations is never ending. For the school it was necessary to adapt the message for a younger audience, and I needed to trim it to twenty minutes.
I began with a five-minute puppet skit. Out of the gate the red-headed puppet, Cam-Man, was a hit capturing the attention of all who were present. Interestingly, my puppeteer was red headed, too, a teacher which just made the kids love the puppet even more.
After the brief exchange with the Cam-Man puppet telling tidbits of the story, I told more bits and pieces of the story that focuses solely on Jesus, including the special features about the Immanuel Quilt being a puzzle and having hidden images.
After chapel, I stuck around school the rest of the day giving eight more talks so that students could hear more of the story, look for the invisible images, and ask questions.
“Why is the High Priest block designed like that?”
“Why is there black in the quilt when you said God told you not to use black?”
“Horn of Salvation is a funny Name.”
I loved their questions, comments, and active interaction. When I would ask a question, most of the class would raise their hand to answer.
Students who had trouble locating the invisible images, I would tell them to look closer. Once they would spot a hidden image I’d hear, “Awe…now I see it!”
Pointing out the Name, Dwelling Place, a boy raised his hand for me to call on him. He confidently told me that God dwells inside everyone. With gentleness I replied, “Not in everyone. He dwells in hearts of believers.”
One boy saw the face of Jesus inside the Gate block. I have had others tell me this, but I hadn’t shared this with the students. By faith the boy saw what is commonly unseen.
Some classes, totally unprompted, applauded what God has done. I pointed out the hidden Lamb of God, they clapped.
When asking the students if the story of the Immanuel Quilt had taught them anything new about Jesus, nearly every student raised their hand in agreement it had.
It was such a rewarding day. I felt in the zone, doing exactly what God had designed me to do.
That evening I was a vendor and storyteller at the school’s holiday mart. My heart melted hearing parents say that picking their children up from school that day all they could talk about was the Immanuel Quilt. Students I had seen earlier in the day had brought their parents to see the Immanuel Quilt. What a blessing it was hearing them tell the story to their parents! It was a bonus to that learn a few students had asked for the book for Christmas.
The Immanuel Quilt is not necessarily a children’s book, yet there is evidence they want it. I think what they are really wanting is proof that God is real, He speaks, and that He is with them, and God is using the Immanuel Quilt to deliver these truths.
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. -Psalm 105:1
Want to see a video of me speaking at the school? Check it out here.