Reading the fine print

My son brought home his daily artwork from school on Friday. "Loooook, I Ma-ake!" It was a picture of Jonah and the whale to be made into stick puppets. Since my fridge is already fully blessed by his creations, I haven't found a place for it there yet. So it sat on the kitchen counter all weekend, giving me time to really get a look at it.

Because it is in very simple language, the explanation at the top is obviously directed at the child who will be making the picture. "God asked Jonah to do something he did not want to do. God made a great fish swallow Jonah when he tried to run away and not do what God wanted. After three days, the fish spit Jonah out onto the shore. Then Jonah did what God wanted him to do." Next, it explains how to make the craft.

In smaller print at the bottom, the real gem and the thing that when read outloud to my husband elicited a lengthy guffaw and maybe a little snorting, were the instructions for the teacher supervising the craft. "Help the children understand we must always do what God wants. Reassure them of God's care for them so they will not be fearful of being swallowed by a big fish."

♦