Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Connection to Four in the Furnace

As a Christian mom who used to teach third grade and kindergarten, I want to help my children cultivate curiosity and a love for learning. Even more, I want the Bible to become real to them, not just isolated stories of things that happened a long time ago but stories of real people like them and you and me who chose to obey and follow God in the midst of rising tides and an opposing cultural current.

Our children love silly stories, and I’m so glad they do! So much so, our copy of Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes is well-loved. By this, I mean the outside cover has creases and the inside is discolored in more places than one from little hands reading and re-reading this story. It’s so easy to get caught-up in the lyrical rhythm of this book, we may read the last page and usher our little one(s) to move on, either to the next play activity or drifting off to sleep. But, what if we pause and share a few deeper thoughts of reflection together? Is there something sacred hidden in this secular tale? I do believe so.

As Christian parents, we get “the Sunday stuff,” going to church and praying before meals. Then, before we know it, the week gets going and we’re focused on “the Monday stuff,” like school and playtimes and meals and errands and groceries and practice and living everyday life. How do we connect “the Sunday stuff” with “the Monday stuff”? This is a question ‘Dubs and I have been thinking and praying through for our family. We don’t always get it right, but for us, Pete the Cat is one of the things that would be categorized in “the Monday stuff.” Connecting this to a deeper truth is how we can teach our kids to practice the presence of God every day.

Here are a few thoughts to help prepare you for this intentional pause with your little one(s). I like to use a 3-Connection strategy in the following order:

·      Connect with Me

·      Connect with Another Book/Story I Know

·      Connect with My World / My Reality

After this, I like to lead us through a simple prayer. Whether it’s bedtime or playtime, it’s important to teach our kids we can talk to God whenever, wherever we are. This is an easy way to model this with them.

1. Connect With Me

Before reading Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, I like to start with an opening question. This helps the reader (child) prepare to connect their own experiences with the story. This is an important step if the application of the story, usually the moral/lesson, is going to “stick.” Consider asking questions like:

·      What are your favorite shoes? Why do you like these so much?

·      Think of a time when you stepped in something icky. What was it and how did it make you feel?

2. Read the Story

If you're not familiar with this story or you'd like to read/watch the digital version, you can watch it here:

I recommend reading the story to your child or if your child is able, read together. Reading together can take on many forms, such as:

·      The child reads independently only pausing when help sounding out/context clues from illustration is needed

·      Help build stamina – child reads one page, adult reads the next, so on.

·      Adult primarily reads but child reads the page(s) they know (especially true if this is a book which has been read before and is familiar to the child)

·      Adult primarily reads and points to each word as he/she reads and allows the child to read certain sight words known, such as “the” or “cat” etc.

·      Adult reads the words while the child enjoys (and “reads”) the pictures.

3. Connect With Another Book/Story I Know

After reading Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, it’s time to help the child make a deeper connection – this time to another book or story they know. To help bring a spiritual truth to a secular story, help guide the child to remember biblical stories they know, or ones you can introduce to them. Guiding questions for this title may be similar to the following:

·      Goodness, Pete stepped in a lot of things! What all did he step in?

·      Pete learned no matter what he stepped in, he didn’t have to react or get upset. Can you help me think of someone in the Bible who lived a long time ago who knew what it was like for things to not go their way? What did they do? (Example provided below. It can also be helpful to focus on one biblical story this time and review another the next time you read this book.)

·      Do you remember the story of the three men in the fire? Pete stepped in berries and even mud, but these men were ordered by a king to step into (and be thrown into) a fiery furnace! God delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fire and from King Nebuchadnezzar. Let’s read about it in the Bible, recorded in the book of Daniel in chapter 3. (Text provided below from The Message version as this language is often the most inviting for young minds to comprehend. Depending on how much time you have, you may choose to read this scripture aloud together or provide a summary of this story now and read it during the next story time read aloud you share.)

Four Men in the Furnace 3 1-3 King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet thick. He set it up on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon. He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.

4-6 A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: “Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen! When you hear the band strike up—all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals—fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace.”

7 The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone—every race, color, and creed—fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8-12 Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! You gave strict orders, O king, that when the big band started playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue, and whoever did not go to their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace. Well, there are some Jews here—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have placed in high positions in the province of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don’t respect your gods and they won’t worship the gold statue you set up.”

13-15 Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. When the men were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar asked, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up? I’m giving you a second chance—but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don’t worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”

16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

19-23 Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?”

“That’s right, O king,” they said.

25 “But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!”

26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.

27 All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!

28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king’s orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.

29 “Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this.”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

·      Isn’t it amazing to see God’s power? The king and his men were amazed! They saw one of their own men die from the heat and flames, but when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego entered the flames, a fourth appeared looking like an angel! Though they stepped into the flames, like Pete, they didn’t have to be afraid or get upset or anxious. They trusted God would be with them no matter what. And He was. They walked out of the fire; not even their clothes were burned!

·      At the end of Pete the Cat, Pete was singing, and I imagine Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were singing and praising God for His faithfulness, for rescuing them! What song do you think they were singing as they walked out? Maybe How Great is Our God or Jesus Loves Me? (It’s a great time to sing a song of praise together.)

4. Connect with My World/Reality

God was with them then and guess what? God is with us now! Think of a time when God has helped you or has helped our family when we stepped into something hard or scary?

Isn’t it comforting to know God’s presence is always with us? He never leaves us because he loves us more than we’ll ever know. His love is always for us, no matter what. Life is hard sometimes and we will feel sad, too. There might be times when we are confused or mad and don’t understand why something is happening, but God’s presence is always with us.

That’s what Pete didn’t know. At the end, he said, “No matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song... because it’s all good.”

But, we know from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it’s not our song we sing, but power comes as we choose to sing God’s song. We can sing God’s praise and give God thanks in all circumstances, trusting even if what we see before us looks like a pile of mud and is anything but good, God makes all things good for those who trust in Him.

Family Memory Verse Challenge:

Romans 8:28 (The Message) tells us:

“We can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

Tips to make it "stick" -

• Save this as your phone wallpaper or home screen as a reminder to say this together in all your comings and goings this week.

• Print or copy this verse to a post-it note to put on the fridge or a family memo board.

• Write it on a napkin to add to your child's lunchbox.

• Write it together with chalk on the sidewalk one afternoon or draw pictures of the "good" you see God provide for you and your family.
  

Then ask your child(ren): How can we practice trusting God more this week?

5. Pray Together

Let’s pray together.

God, thank you for your presence. Thank you for fun and silly stories like Pete the Cat and how your Holy Spirit can use even these to remind us of stories of people like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who chose to obey you no matter what might come of it. Thank you for your presence and for always being with us. Help us to trust you in all things, like: ______________. We love you and we honor you with our words and our actions. In Jesus’ name, amen.

May we be strengthened as we soak our minds in the truth of scripture and joy as we remember God's presence is always with us, no matter what we step in. May we experience peace in all circumstances as we practice trusting God and may we rest in His great, unfathomable love for us.

For more examples of children's stories and how to connect "the Sunday stuff" to "the Monday stuff" for your family, check out the children's section at www.CandaceCofer.com

The good life, well it starts with a good day. Then another. Then another. Let's choose to live #TheGoodDay one day at a time.