Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Simplicity of Oranges

I love my job.  I love my job a lot.  I teach Kindergarten. 

Today my kiddos had to solve this mystery question:  "Does an orange float?"

To solve this question they had to drop an orange in water and record (by drawing) what they saw happen.  Then they had to repeat the same procedure, but peel their orange and see if there were any changes.

As I was preparing this simple science lesson for my students, I had no idea that their reaction would have an inpact on my heart.  During the lesson, my classroom filled with shouts of excitement as the students put their oranges into the water.  It was like I had given them bags of candy and told them they could eat as much as they wanted.  I hadn't ever seen their faces filled with so much excitement.  They were enjoying every minute of this activity and sharing their excitment with their friends.

"It's only an orange and water," I thought.  I couldn't believe how excited and engaged they were over something as simple as dropping an orange into water.  This was such a simple task using simple objects... an orange and water!

Just like my Kindergartners, there is so much around us that can bring us joy if we take the time to seek it out.  Psalm 65:8 says, "The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."  God grants us joy and fills the earth with His wonders.  It's like my kiddos today finding the greatness of joy from an orange we can find greatness in joy in many other wonders that God created.  We need to take the time and look for the small things that God has given us.... something as simple as an orange can bring a smile to our face for years to come.

By now you might be wondering if an orange floats or sinks... I'm not going to tell you; try it for yourself.  Enjoy the simplicity of an orange and the joy it can bring...