( 1st Peter 4 : 8 - 10 ) - [ Akündigungen405.39 KB ]
The fiddle cricket and the mole
Picture Nr 1: Little Mary the cricket was an excellent violinist. She played the most beautiful songs throughout the whole summer. In doing that she not only had a lot of fun herself, all the animals in the field were also happy and danced to her music. They had a wonderful time!
Picture Nr 2: The days shortened, and the summer ended, autumn came and then winter. The cold set in and nothing to eat could be found on the fields. Little Mary got hungry, as she did not gather any food for the winter – she made music the whole summer long. She got cold, as she did not knit any gloves and socks - she made music the whole summer long. Little Mary was alone, all the other animals had crawled into their nests and caves. Only she herself had not built a winter home - she made music the whole summer long.
Picture Nr 3: So, she went to the Chief Forester, a large stag beetle und asked for help: “Hallo, you are the Chief Forester here and must be kind to all animals. May I please stay with you through the winter, without having to pay? I have no home, no money, and no food.”
“Excuse me? Have I heard correctly? You want to stay the whole winter with me and then not even pay?” he exploded. “No, little Mary, that does not work. First you fiddle the whole summer and do no work, and then you want to live at someone else’s cost! What a cheek! Go away!”
Picture Nr 4: The poor little cricket had to go. And it was so cold outside! The fields and meadows were covered in a blanket of snow. Little Mary decided to try the Mouse. The Mouse lived in an old watering can and gathered so much food, it would have fed three.
Picture Nr 5: “Hallo, may I please live with you over the winter? I have no home and it is very cold,” she asked. “What? No home? That is crazy! How can one be so stupid not to have built a home?! How can one be so lazy and not gather food for the winter? Instead, you just fiddled the whole summer long and now want to stay at my cost. That is not going to happen!” the Mouse replied.
Picture Nr 6: Poor little Mary had to leave. In the thick snow, she moved very slowly and got colder and colder. She went to the Mole. He lived deep under the ground in a warm cave.
Picture Nr 7: When he heard the cricket approaching – he cannot see; as he is almost blind - he called: “Oh, visitors are coming, that is nice! Come closer so I can feel who you are!” And he felt the cricket and her fiddle and when he realised who it was, he was very happy. Shyly little Mary asked: “May I stay the winter over with you?” “But of course, you are welcome!” the Mole replied, because he loved her music.
Picture Nr 8: Then she stayed with the mole and the two of them had a comfortable time: every day they cooked something and ate tasty food together. They heated the oven till it glowed, so they were never cold. In the evenings, the cricket played her most beautiful music pieces on her fiddle for the mole. The whole winter through! They had a wonderful time together, the happiest time of her life.
Two people discuss the pictures and story. They talk about what each of them can do well, as neither can play a musical instrument, but the one can bake delicious cakes and the other can draw very well. Everyone has been given talents by God. They then ask the children what their talents are.
After some feedback, they confirm that everybody can do something well. But the one reckoned, that is not true in the story just heard. The stag beetle and the mouse do not seem to be able to do anything well. The other disagreed; the stag beetle manages that everything goes well and organises things in the area. The mouse gathers food fast and gets a lot done. The other person is not impressed and responds, that those two are mean. The first person admits that is true, but one could say they are blind. But is not the mole blind? The other two were able to see the cricket! To which the first one agreed, they could see her with their eyes. Of course, everyone sees with their eyes!
Looking at the picture of the mouse again, it is clear that the mouse sits like an angry queen on her throne and looks down on the cricket, even though the cricket is standing on a nut. The mouse is the clever, hardworking nut-gatherer and little Mary is just small and dumb, too dumb to build a home and gather supplies. The pathetic fiddle music is nothing to write home about!
And the stag beetle, just see how big and important he pretends to be and how he looks down on the cricket. He does not see her wonderful talent. Whoever is blind in his heart, will not benefit with having even the sharpest eyesight.
Fortunately, little Mary got to the mole who was not blind in his heart, otherwise, she might have frozen to death. Yes, even though the mole could hardly see with his eyes he knew the “happiness recipe.” What is that? The first person reads it from 1st Peter 4 : 8 - 10:
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Yes! The mole and the cricket did not look at the weaknesses of each other, but at what each one did well. The cricket did not say to the mole you are blind, but was happy, that the mole was good at listening and being hospitable. The mole did not tell the cricket off for not preparing for the winter; he enjoyed her beautiful fiddle music. So, they each served each other with their respective talents and were happy.
The ”happiness recipe” should be remembered: firstly, think and see what you yourself are good at, what talent God has given you and how you can use that to help or make others happy. Secondly, look at what talents others have and how they can help or make everyone happy. And thirdly, overlook mistakes and weaknesses in yourself and in others.
If one always looks at the mistakes made or weaknesses of everyone, you become blind in your heart, and no one wants to be like that!